ELECTRICAL PERILS

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXII, Issue 11404, 3 January 1931, Page 12

ELECTRICAL PERILS

WOMAN’S- SUDDEN END AT WELLINGTON. t

EVIDENCE AT THE iftQPEST.

Subjects of interest’ and importance to-users of household .electrical • appliances were touched on during the inquest at Wellington into the death of Mrs. Spinks before Mr., I. Salek; J.P., coroner. One of the witnesses, Dr. Alan Terinent, spent some time in- explaining that the danger of electric shocks depended more on perfection of contact than actual voltage, and an electrical in- ■ -spector employed by the City Council pointed out the danger of using apparatus under conditions for which it was not designed. Evidence of the circumstances of Mrs. Spinks’ death was given by her husband, William Spinks, and. by a son and daughter. Mrs Spinks wa r < accustomed to* use an electric radiator iri the bathroom when shei took a bath. It was connected to a plug in the hall and -the cord ran' under the bathroom door. She was accustomed, also, to lock the bathroom door. She went into the bath.room for a hath prior to retiring, and after a few minutes members of the family heard her screaming. Her husband eventually broke tho bathroom window and clambered in to find her lying unconscious in the hath with her hand grasping the radiator. The heater was turned'off and she was talcen out, clothed, and put to bed. When Dr. Tennent arrived life was extinct-.

The coroner returned a verdict that she had met her death as a result of electrocution while handlinga defective radiator while her hands and body were wet .with, bathing. ~ At the end of his evidence Dr. Tennent said that in view of the possibilititv that the death might he attributed by the public to ,ihe increased voltage now used he would like to point out some facts with regard to death by electrocution. The history of the subject showed that the voltage, on the whole, hail very htle to do with the damage done. In this particular case conditions for electric shock were about the mostperfect possible. If the voltage had been 50 it- was quite possible that death would have ensued. “The point that I rather wish to bring out ’here,” said Dr. Tennent, is that question of the voltage. I do. not think we ran attribute the seriousness of this case to the voltage, but to the mere fact that deceased was immersed at- the time in water that was in connection with the earth.”

To the police witness said that he was of the opinion that death v.nild have ensued had the voltage been, only 110.

Evidence was given kw .T: R Bruce, city council electrical inspector, that the - heater had a defect that rendered the whole - frame ‘‘alive” when in a certain position to anyone in contact with “earth.” Replying to the coroner, ho said that if would not be dangerous to people who were standing on a. carpeted floor, although in a bathroom, handled by wet hands, it was extremely dangerous. ' 'Appliances’ to he used in bathrooms should have special cords and be connected to. a three-point-' plug, the' third conta* - v connecting the frame to earth- -and preventing danger to those handling it This one, however, ran from a two-point plug in the hall, and was very dangerous.