WORKMAN ELECTROCUTED.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20005, 24 January 1927, Page 3

WORKMAN ELECTROCUTED.

INQUEST CONCLUDED. VERDICT OF ACCIDENTAL DEATH. The inquest concerning the death of Robert Bayliss, a married man, who was electrocuted while working on the Dunedin City Corporation lines in Gladstone road on December 24, was resumed in the Courthouse on Saturday before Air H. W. Bundle, S.M., sitting as coroner. Air A. N. Haggitt represented the Dunedin City Corporation, Air A. C. Hanlon the relatives of the deceased, and Sergeant lloulton conducted the inquest on behalf of the police. Dr William James I’orteous deposed that he was called to Gladstone road to attend the deceased at 9 o’clock on the morning of December 24. When he reached the spot where the accident occurred the body had been placed in an ambulance. There was no sign of life, and death had probably taken place 15 minutes previously. He found on inquiry that the body had been found hanging from an electric light pole. Death must have been instantaneous, and was probably due to the passage through the body of an electric current. He understood that there had been two or three gasps emitted while the body was being lowered. To Air Hanlon: Death was in his opinion due to electrocution. The post mortem appearance was consistent with that. It was a damp morning, and it was very easy for electrocution to take place when the live wires were damp. There were no gloves on deceased’s hands when he saw him. To Sergeant Boulton: Artificial respiration had been carried out when witness arrived. Gilbert Smart said he was a linesman employed by the Dunoain City Corporation, in the electric power and light department. Witness was working with deceased on the overhead wires in Gladstone road on the morning of the accident. He was with deceased on a pole, and showed him what to do in the matter of putting bridges from one line to another. The old wire along Gladstone road, was being cut out, and a now wire was being put in. Witness was temporarily in charge of the gang that morning. Deceased was not wearing gloves or goloshes. These were available for use. They were in the toolbox which was about 30 yards distant from the pole on which deceased was working. There were four men in the gang that morning. The morning was not wet. The rain started after the body had been lowered. In dry weather men always worked on the live wires without gloves or goloshps. The gloves and goloshes were there if the men wanted to use them. There were no definite instructions that the gloves or goloshes must be used on lowtension wires, such as deceased was working on. There were 230 volts passing through the wires. Deceased was an experienced man, and was quite an efficient' workman. Witness had been working with deceased for about six weeks, and he was in his normal state of health on the morning of his death. The first indication that anything was wrong was when he saw deceased hanging by the legs from the pole. Witness had gone further down to get some material, and he sent another workman named Al’Swain back to where deceased was working to tell him to bring the ladder and some material lower down when he had completed the job he was engaged on. ABSwaih had been gone about four minutes when he saw him returning. He could see that something was wiong, and when he got close enough he obesrved deceased hanging by one leg. The body was head down. They lowered it by means of a rope. The time occupied in lowering the body, reckoned from the time he arrived until it was brought down, would be between two and three minutes Deceased was not alive when he was lowered. Artificial respiration was at once resorted to and medical aid summoned. He could not account for the accident. The cause of death could only have been electric .shock. To Mr Hanlon: There was nothing _in the regulations to prevent a man being left alone when working on live wirej It was possible for a man to get a shock on a fine day He did not know until this accident that it was possible for a 230 voltage to kill a man. He received no special teaching or coaching regarding the dang m; of working among live wires. He considered that so long as a man confined his attent : on to one wire_ there was no danger. If he were wearing gloves and goloshes i>nnd his neck, for example, came into contact with a live were, there would be no fatal result. ■ The handles of the spanners and other tools in use by the City Corporation hands were not insulated. No precautions were taken to avoid an accident such ns happened to deceased. To Mr Haggitt: He did not know how long the deceased had been engaged in such work. He had been working with witness for about six weeks. Every man on the job knew there waa a potential danger. He had been engaged in the same work since the accident, and had not worn gloves. He had not worn gloves at any time, except in wet weather, when working on low tension wires. Ordinary clothing was not a conductor of electricity. There was little or no danger in doing such work as deceased was engaged in provided one exorcised ordinary care. Deceased had been engaged in similar work at Anderson s Bay immediately prior to the accident, and he’was satisfied that he was an experienced linesman. The corporation had never given witness instructions to rush anv job. Angus M'Swain. a linesman* employed bv the City Corporation, said he was sent by the previous witness to be within call of Bayliss if he wanted him. W hen witness got up to the pole on which Bayliss was working, ho saw him cross from one side of the pole to the other on the cross arms. They spoke to each other about insulating tape and a heaving ropa, which deceased said he w r ou!d soon require. and witness went to the tool box about 30 yards away. Ho was absent for two or three minutes, and, surprised that deceased had not called him, he went over, and, seeing the man hanging by the feet, he ian to Smart to give- the alarm. Returning, he got the rope up the pole to tie round deceased’s body. He had been working with deceased for about six months. 'He was a careful and efficient vorkman. Ordinarily no workman would have worn gloves and goloshes on the pole on which deceased was working, which was considered a s’afo pole. He, personally. would not have worn gloves or goloshes had he been engaged on the same v erk as deceased, unless ordered to do In reply to the Coroner. Air AI. C. Henderson (city electrical engineer) said there wore Government regulations regarding the safety of workmen, and the city had its own regulations. It was really left to the men to exercise iheir own judgment. Gloves and goloshes were provided for use when necessary. He did not think the accident would have-happened if gloves and goloshes had been worn by deceased. Bayliss must hove put his foot on the neutral wire, and have touched one of the others whilst he was putting the bridere in. The Coroner said that the accident would cot have happened had deceased been wearing gloves and rroloshos; but the evidence given showed that were worn only if the weather was wet, while [ ie Government regulations merely ~”ovided that these articles should be supplied where necessary. It was a low tension wire on which the deceased was working, and it was apparently not considered necessarv to wear fflove and goloshes while engaged on low tension wires. It appeared as if deceased had been standing on an insulated wire, which gave contact when he opened the insulation to bridge the line. In view of the evidence and the Government regulations bearing on the safety of work* men engaged in such work, it was not necessary for him to sav more. ■ In dangerous occupations familiarity bred contempt of the danger, and that was what hanpened in the present.instance He was Quite unable to find that the men considered it necessary- to wear rubber -loves and goloshes. The verdict would bo one of accidental electrocution.