Youth Electrocuted by Computer
On July 20, 1998, Freddy Jewel, age 14, was electrocuted while operating a personal computer in his Dresden, Ontario home, this according to the preliminary findings of the Dr. Thomas Wilson, Southwestern Coroner, and, Ross Sutherland, Technical Advisor for Ontario Hydro Electrical Inspection.
The computer, which had a three-pin plug, was plugged into an unapproved power bar. The ground pin of the power bar had been broken off so it would fit into the home’s two pin receptacles, which had been installed, sometime prior when this was the residential standard. The power bar had an internal manufacturing defect that allowed the computer to operate normally, while at the same time energizing the metal in the computer at 120 volts. The internal defect in the power bar would not have caused the problems if the circuit had been protected with a proper ground connection. Freddy was electrocuted when he touched a metallic part on the computer.
A tragedy like Freddy’s death can be avoided if people remember the following advice from Ontario Hydro:
- Do not remove the third pin on plugs connected to equipment.
- Always use equipment clearly marked as approved for use in Ontario. This includes Canadian Standards Association (CSA), and, Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL).
- Older homes with receptacles that do not accept three-pin plugs, but require them should have grounded receptacles or Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) receptacles which accept three-pin plugs installed by a certified electrician or licensed electrical contractor.
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