TOUCHED LIVE WIRE.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 December 1924, Page 10

TOUCHED LIVE WIRE.

JtfTARATUS NOT EXAMINEE).

' OVERSIGHT CAUSES DEATH,

SKI LL FRACTURED IN FALL. By Telegraph—Press Association. Palmerston N., Last Night. ~3i inquiry into the circumstances surtouiHling the death on December 10 at the public hospital -of William Russell Matthews, aged 23, who was injured in as accident that day at Mangahao electric power house, was held to-day. Evidence was given that deceased's injuries were burns and a fracture of the base of the skull, the latter causing death. Charles E. Broad, representative of the British firm concerned at Mangahao, said it had been decided to carry out Certain tests with the electrical equipment at the power house from 7.30 ajn. Witness' duty was to make preparations. and deceased and another man. Arthur Hosking, assisted as they did on a previous occasion. Witness examined the apparatus to see that all the switches were clear, and then instructed deceased and Hosking to procure a short circuiting bar to be placed on the isolating switch of No. 4. alternator.

Witness had a doubt as to whether the bar could be placed on the particular switch, and told his assistants that acme means would be necessary for short circuiting. Deceased mounted a ladder and asked if the bars were "dead.” Witness said -’yes,” as he was sure they did not carry current. Hosking gave deceased a short circuiting bar. As soon as deceased grasped it he turned as he was about to place it in position. At that moment a severe arch took place across the switch blades of the open twitch. Witness tried -to catch deceased* clothing, but failed, and deceased fell heavily to the floor, a distance of eight feet. When the instructions were given to deceased witness thought the switches were as "dead"’ as they possibly could be. He was quite sure everything was safe. After the accident he found that a connection could be made by the switch remaining closed. He remembered it afterwards. To the coroner witness said it had not occurred to his mind to switch part of the panel of the apparatus affected by 'the job. Hosking stated in evidence that he was told *by Broad always to examine the apparatus. On this occasion he and the deceased failed to do so. The coroner said foe would not comment upon the evidence further than to say that there was no doubt that the deceased met his death through the oversight of Broad in failing to examine the wires connected with the apparatus dealt with right back to the generator before the job was started. It was a regrettable oversight on the part of deceased and his fellow mechanic. On thi* occasion they Lad failed to observe BroadV instructions to satisfy themselves of the safety of the apparatus before using it. A verdict was returned that the deceased died from a fracture of the skull, caused by coming into contact wi’h the live apparatus and falling to the concrete fl«>or.