PSEG worker injured in transformer explosion in East Islip
Dec 2017Published 17 Sept 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor
- Where
- Wyandanch Avenue in East Islip, New York
- Operator
- PSEG
- What
- Transformer exploded while worker responded to outage
- Injuries
- PSEG worker injured and taken to local hospital
- Cause
- Not reported
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Companies named in the reporting of this entry (being named is not a finding of fault): PSEG
What happened
On the evening of 18 December 2017, a PSEG worker was called to Wyandanch Avenue in East Islip, New York, to respond to a power outage. While the worker was near the transformer it exploded, and the worker was injured and taken to a local hospital. A PSEG spokesperson said the worker was in stable condition.
Contributing factors
The source says the transformer failed or exploded while the worker was nearby. It does not report why the transformer failed.
Lessons learned
- A distribution transformer can fail without warning during an outage response, so crews must keep clear of the unit where the task allows.
- Operators should review job briefings after any injury before sending crews to similar call-outs.
More lessons on outages, backup supply and restoration, from every incident on the register.
Not yet known
- Cause of the transformer failure
- Transformer model and age
- Duration of power outage
This entry is updated when these are reported. Get an alert for the next one like it.
Source
Published 2026-09-17. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.
