ELECTRICAL RISKS

Evening Star, Issue 19638, 18 August 1927, Page 15

ELECTRICAL RISKS

A MELBOURNE FATALITY The live, wire danger in an electrified country can only ho controlled by good service on the part of the workman and the inspector, and by vigilance on the part of the public. Melbourne papers report the death of Oscar Hansen, aged nineteen,_ whose body was found in six feet of water under tho Gem pier at Willinmstowu. Tho coroner found that _ho died from drowning, but it is believed that an electric shock caused his tall into the water and his subsequent inability to rescue himself. Deceased and Ids brother Septimus had a motor boat moored at tho pier. For more than a year they had been receiving slight electric shocks at places on tho pier. Septimus said that ho went to tho motor boat oxime ting to find deceased, but deceased was not in sight, though the engine of tho motor boat was running. “I looked around, but could see no sign of my brother. When I touched tho rope by which the boat was moored to a pile Bupoprtiug the pier I received an electric shock. I also received a shock when I touched the. pile to which the boat was tied.” Witness added that later lie found his brother’s body under the niei. Aii electrical subsequently culled in, named Francis Chambers, told the coroner: “On the dock of tho pier there was an iron lamp standard supporting an electric lamp. The wires, which served this lamp ran under the pier, and were enclosed in a galvanised iron pipe. This pipe had been pulled away from the nails holding it, and was supported by tho wires lamp. Tho pipe was 1 alive.’ and examination showed that the insulation of the wire was frayed at one spot, thus allowing the ‘ live ’ wire to come into connection with the pipe, ’.I hat portion of the pier which Ihe pipe touched was also alive, owing to the fact'that it was wet by the spray, and that there was a good ground connection. If anyone stood on tho landing stage, alongside- which the, boat was moored, and placed his hand on tho deck of tho pier, lie would receive a shock sufficient to make him start and lose his balance. The installation of the wires had been reasonably well done, but nails had been used instead of pipe-clips to support the pipe.’.’ James Downing Brokenshiro, Harbor Trust electrician, said: “ The care or the electric installation on tho Gem pier is the responsibility of the Harbor Trust. The installation had been tested in February by a. foreman electrician, and had been passed. After the fatality wc rectified the fault.” The coroner found that Hansen had died from drowning, and that the death was accidental.,