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October 11, 2004

Electrical arc burns technician at Stanford Linear Accelerator Center

A contract worker installing a small circuit breaker next to an electrical panel at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC) today suffered second- and third-degree burns and was taken to the burn unit of Valley Medical Center in San Jose for treatment after an electrical arc of 480 Volts unexpectedly shot between the 480-Volt panel and the cabinet, igniting his clothes and throwing him backward, according to SLAC Director of Communications Neil Calder.

At 11:18 a.m., two co-workers who had been standing 3 and 8 feet away, respectively, rolled the technician over to douse the flames on his clothing. The technician had been wearing protective gloves, glasses, headcover and boots but was seriously burned. The victim was conscious and speaking when taken for treatment at Valley Medical Center, which has specialized facilities to treat burn victims. The full extent of his injuries is not known at this point.

The accident occurred in Sector 20, a part of the 2-mile-long linear accelerator just west of Highway 280.

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Contact

Neil Calder, Stanford Linear Accelerator Center: (650) 926-8707, neil.calder@slac.stanford.edu

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