ELECTRICAL DANGERS

Grey River Argus, 23 October 1936, Page 9

ELECTRICAL DANGERS

Amateur Interference SWEEPER TRAGEDY. (Per Press Association), WELLINGTON, October 21. The statement that the Wellington City Council Electricity Department was onlv concerned with the distribu-

1 tion of current, and that it d’d not consider the human element, was made by Mr Siwindell, secretary of the ElecK trical Workers’ Union, at the inquest ; on Mary Uaughley. bringing an indig- ' nant denial from the City Solicitor, Mr O’Shea. ] Airs Caughley was found on fli 0 floor of the breakfast room st her home, with an extension cord in her ’ hand. This, the. husband explained, she used in connection with an electric sweeper. ' It had been in use for at least three ; years, he said. He assembled it himself about two months before, and hi® , wife often -used it, without shock. I The medical evidence was that the I appearance of ’.he body was consisv . ent with death from an clec.’rfl- , shock, and the pool of blood on rhe I tlooi came from her 'jo s c when she ■ fell. Wr-lter Ramsay, electrical iuspee- . tor. City Council Department, :-a;<l '.here were two brass holders appm ently fitted by an amateur, and each in turn was making contact with the conductors which caused a potential of 230 volts, between the cases of the two holders. He understood fom the police that the no’den were found one 'n each hand of rhe deceased. If she had only held one, no shock would have resulted. Cross-examined by Al’’ Swindell, he said the connection was of the old type, and if seen, it would be condemned by the C'ity Council. It ua - n breach of the by-laws for imliccnsed persons to interfere with fixed wiring of electrical installation. “We have any number of by-laws, bni who is to enforce them?” said MSwindell ‘-Air O'Shea: There’is a temptat ion among householders to pariy o.i. their own repairs and alterations and this cannot very well be checked The. Coroner said it was an instance , of carelessness. “Quite a numbe: ( ,f u= tamper with electrical coniiee. lions. It was just bad luck that the woman happened to be holding both connections with the current switc te on. I hope this wiU be a lesson to others. As the Council had advised, you cannot force people tn Lake t test precautions, hut they are ver\ 100 i>.i if they don’t.” ' WELLINGTON, October 21At the inquest on the electrocution victim, Mr Swindell said ’t was quite a general trend for shops to sell out of date appliances for assembly. The Public AVorks Department must put on more inspectors. He asked the Coroner "to add a rider to his verdict. The Coroner advised Mr Swindell to go to the Minister if he considered he had a just complaint. “T cannot add ft rider,” said the Coroner. “It is not mv business. Mr Swindell: “A r es; but you 11 be sitting here over similar courts through similar accidents if something is not done.”