ELECTROCUTED WORKER.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 14191, 8 January 1917, Page 7

ELECTROCUTED WORKER.

<* — . WORKING AMONG LIVE WIRES \VITIIK)UT SAFEGUARDS. (Per Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, last night. At an inquest on the Body of Bensor Blacikburne, who was killed by a fal from an electric wire at Fendaiton, th< evidenoe showed that deceased was noi wearing a body belt at the time of th( accident, although he was working among live wires. The coroner said it was a case Ol familiarity breeds contempt. The v engineer to the Waimakarir County Council said he had given instructions, that body belts should .be worn. He had employed men from tht city- who had refused to wear the belt which they had termed ."childish." Hi explained that the men when working on city wires sat on a sack laid over th« wires. The coroner (Mr H. W. Bishop) re marked that he would n6t like to sit or wires, covered only by a sack. The engineer in charge was taking a great risk in employing men without seeing that the necessary precautions were observed'. He further said tliat all possible precautions should be taken whew human life was at stake, but if men refused to observe them it was hardly possible to force precautions upon thenn He would record a verdict that deceased met his death from a fracture of the skull caused by a fall from a wiro. 33Pe did not consider that blame was attachable to anyone.