So now we are saying that a control handle not installed is to blame for a piece of equipment mis wired and apparently not properly tested getting someone hurt? I do not agree with locked devices, but in my 30+ years of substation work, I have yet to be able to get to the handle before the event is over.
It is simple enough to flip up a cover and operate a handle if one knows that is all that is needed. Locked or removed handles are another story.
If we are talking about the NEC, I believe locked handles for overcurrent devices would not be allowed. I will be corrected if wrong.
E-stops on machinery and circuit breakers are different animals - over here in IEC-land an emergency stop has to be a prominent actuator coloured red and has to be clearly identified. E-stop buttons are available as options on some MCCBs and ACBs to replace the mechanical 'open' button, but a standard breaker would not meet the requirements for an E-stop.
The OP only said 'circuit breaker' and that could be anything from an MCB to a transmission system breaker, and the OP has gone to sleep while we speculate.
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If we learn from our mistakes I'm getting a great education!
How about this for perspective. I was a submarine guy in the navy, in the event of an emergency we would scram (Emergency shutdown) the reactor, and to do so we had to lift a hinged plastic cover and turn a switch. Sure it took another split second to lift the cover but I bet Naval Reactors researched it and decided inadvertant operation is worse than a short delay.
