Dont mess with the incomer!

[Dave 85]

Started my first job for a new builder today (nice guy). I was wiring some lights in a conservatory while he was behind me attacking the concrete floor with a hammer and chisel.
BANG!!!
wtf?!!
Poor guy is now on the other side of the room, straight through a sheet of platerboard, right hand completely black up to the elbow, eybrows burnt off, front of his hair singed, white as a sheet and shaking.

He was up and about afterwards, had to go to special burns unit. Not heard how much damage was done to his hand but it wasn't a pretty sight.

The cold chisel (uninsulated) was a good inch shorter.

The power was cut to the house but my volt stick showed the incomer was still live so not sure if the blast severed the live core or what.

Scary stuff.

 

[Dave 85]

Sorry its upside down...I was in shock

 

[Dave 85]

That capping was white a few minutes earlier

 

[Darkwood]

He was trying to break the concrete round it so he could flatten it against the wall. Looking at it that bend continues into the floor and he was hammering away right into it. Obviously had I realised what he was up to i woulda stopped him. Geniunely one of the nicest builders I've met. I went to school with his son but hadn't seen him for about 15 yrs. crazy thing to do.

View attachment 11410

Golden rule in life is never mess with the incomming cable no matter how new it looks, probably a tncs here which is lucky for him that its a new cable and kept most of its structural integrity, the burns he got was most likely the hot vapourised metal been blown out, i wouldn't even contemplate so much as nudging that cable now cos if its still live it could blow out molten and vapourised metal again.....DNO!!!!! ASAP.

 

[electromonkey]

He was trying to break the concrete round it so he could flatten it against the wall. Looking at it that bend continues into the floor and he was hammering away right into it. Obviously had I realised what he was up to i woulda stopped him. Geniunely one of the nicest builders I've met.I went to school with his son but hadn't seen him for about 15 yrs. crazy thing to do.

View attachment 11410

Any sympathy I had has quickly disappeared!

 

[DurhamSparky]

got to agree with that statement! DNO should have been called as an emergency (after the ambulance and the pics of course)

 

[JD6400]

That capping was white a few minutes earlier

I bet your mates undies were too ! :dizzy2:

 

[electromonkey]

Golden rule in life is never mess with the incomming cable no matter how new it looks, probably a tncs here which is lucky for him that its a new cable and kept most of its structural integrity, the burns he got was most likely the hot vapourised metal been blown out, i wouldn't even contemplate so much as nudging that cable now cos if its still live it could blow out molten and vapourised metal again.....DNO!!!!! ASAP.

He'll have a nice bill to show off along with his crispy arm.

 

[Darkwood]

I think at this point we could ask for a thread setting up with a Hall of Shame! with pics of when things go wrong.... does it sound like a plan, i think ive just seen the first pics to go into it lol

 

[D80]

Has DNO been called or is this cable gonna sit there overnight?

The builder is a plonker, hope he's ok and never tries anything so stupid again though!

 

[Darkwood]

Has DNO been called or is this cable gonna sit there overnight?

The builder is a plonker, hope he's ok and never tries anything so stupid again though!

He already a finger short on other hand, and now a chisel short, hopefully he will run out of fingers of tools before hes killed :/

 

[mogga]

lol, hold it there almost dead bloke, before I call an ambulance i'll just get a few pics for the forum!

good man taking one for the team seriously I hope the guy is ok

 

[GLENNSPARK]

well clearly it wasn`t a `cold chisel` after the event then...lol....

 

[mogga]

wasnt there a recent question where someone was asking about doing nearly the same thign with Lead cable and he was given "Advice" ranging from "just do it" to "CALL THE DNO ITS LIBLE TO GO BANG!!!"

 

[alarm man]

first day on the job and that happens,im glad you dont do marine work, jonah..:dead:

 

[paul wild]

hope he recovers soon