CPUC Staff Propose $4.5 Million SCE Penalty for Safety Failure
The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) today issued a $4.5 million Staff Citation to Southern California Edison (SCE) for a 2018 incident that resulted in a fatality.
In January 2018, an SCE contract worker was fatally injured while attempting to transfer a de-energized 115 kV overhead conductor from a lattice transmission tower to a new steel pole when an energized 220 kV circuit built parallel to the conductor induced a current on the de-energized conductor and led to the worker’s fatal injuries.
The CPUC’s Safety and Enforcement Division’s investigation into the incident identified that SCE violated CPUC General Order 95, Rule 31.1 for allowing the contractor, HWI, to proceed with work on a Tier-1 transmission project without meeting three requirements of SCE’s Contractor Safety Management Standard. CPUC General Order 95, Rule 31.1 requires utilities to design and maintain their conductors and insulators safely and adequately.
Under the CPUC’s Staff Citation program, SCE has 30 days to pay the fine and make the corrective actions or request a hearing.
Information about the Citation is available at www.cpuc.ca.gov/regulatory-services/enforcement-and-citations/electric-safety-citations.
The CPUC’s Safety and Enforcement Division (SED) has staff-level authority to issue Citations to regulated natural gas and electric companies for violation of CPUC codes and regulations. Safety violations are identified through SED’s ongoing audits, inspections, and investigations; by the utilities themselves through mandatory disclosure requirements; or through the CPUC’s whistleblower program for anonymous and protected reporting of violations. Whistleblowers can call 1-800-649-7570 or email safetyhotline@cpuc.ca.gov. The CPUC also has an online whistleblower reporting form at https://ia.cpuc.ca.gov/whblow/ where complaints can be submitted anonymously.
Today’s action is the latest of many actions the CPUC has taken to hold SCE accountable for safely serving its customers. Most recently the CPUC approved a settlement for $550 million between SED and SCE for the 2017–2018 Southern California wildfires, and issued a $1 million Staff Citation to SCE for its involvement in the ignition of the Easy Fire, which occurred in Simi Valley in October 2019.
The CPUC regulates services and utilities, protects consumers, safeguards the environment, and assures Californians’ access to safe and reliable utility infrastructure and services. For more information on the CPUC, please visit www.cpuc.ca.gov.
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