Mum electrocuted

[Kiers1970]

Mother found dead after she was electrocuted by hedge trimmer | Mail Online

What do you reckon, extension lead plug and socket connected with the plug top live?

Terrible story.

 

[Spudnik]

Tragic news indeed.

The ESC need to step up their game with this campaign.

I am assuming when they say "two ends connected the wrong way", they meant live/neutral reverse?

Tricky one as these are double insulated.

 

[pushrod]

I'd guess it was a male/female push connector in the cable with the plug connected to the male side instead of the female. Have often thought they are an accident waiting to happen.

 

[Deleted member 9648]

What a tragedy....I'm sure pushrod is correct, I've seen one of these before,a two part duraplug connector with the male end on the supply flex,it was on a table lamp flex indoors and we spotted and rectified it while doing unrelated work.
Whoever connected that...(hubby?)...has got to live with themselves for a long time.

 

[jase]

must have been hooked up to a pre 16th ed CU?? cos even then sockets were put on an rcd side, unless it was a shed supply from and un-rcd side and no rcd in shed??.
Agree with jason, ESC should ramp up the campaign a bit, like the fire brigade do with fire alarms all year and fireworks in oct nov, electrical safety in the garden should be of paramount importence in summer, a shame it takes something like this to highlight that fact

 

[mogga]

I recon its those Duraplug connectors Found a few above celing in supermarket wrong way round Informed gaffer who said We will sort it when we are told to

 

[Spudnik]

AH yes of course.

Never thought of that.

 

[Adam W]

To my recollection 16th edition only required RCD protection of socket outlets likely to be supplying an appliance used outdoors, so if an extension lead were run from elsewhere in the house this wouldn't have made any difference.

Either way a 17th edition cu may have prevented this tragedy, but as we all know thanks to the likes of "Matt Allwright BBC Rogue Traders" it can be difficult convincing customers a new cu would be beneficial, particularly if the existing one appears to work ok.

Due to the circumstances I can imagine a lot of people calling on the government to ensure this never happens again, but in reality sufficient regulations to prevent this came into force in 2008; the best thing the media could do when publishing this article would be to remind householders that DIY electrics can be fatal.

 

[jase]

should outlaw those duraplugs,why not use something else like these? suitably rated of course,Click Flow 16 Amp Push-in Connector
Both sides of the plug covered- no chance of exposed live conductors

 

[Des 56]

Its very callous of me to say this,but in relation to any action by the government or genuine concern by the esc
It will take a greater quantity of loss of life,before they would even consider safety issues being an important factor in the domestic electrical market

This will go down,as many others before them as an accident and will very soon be water under the bridge

We know these are easily preventable, by tighter installation standards being forced on the consumer,but its economics versus quantity of tragedy unfortunately

Another very sad event again

 

[ian.settle1]

When I bought a hedge trimmer years ago it was fitted with a 2 pole duraplug first thing I did was replace it with a 3 pole duraplug with the earth pin offset so it could only go fit one way. Did the same with all garden equipment which came 2 pole duraplugs at the time this included lawn mowers until the manufacturers fitted long leads with 13A plugs.

 

[trix]

So sad,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,


but if this was a politicians daughter !!!!!!!

 

[mogga]

Ian the 3 pole one doesnt prevent you (or mr DIY) fitting the Pinned side to the "Live" end hence when unconnected the pins would be live

 

[ian.settle1]

Ian the 3 pole one doesnt prevent you (or mr DIY) fitting the Pinned side to the "Live" end hence when unconnected the pins would be live

As I said the earth pin is off set so it will only fit one way, as i am a fully qualified electrician/engineer (have been for some 33 years) anda member of the IET I do know how to connect a plug.

 

[jase]

but does that stop you connecting it to a live cable i.e a standard 3 pin plug can still be wired to a cable that has a standard 3 pin plug on the other end, with your flymo having a standard 3 pin socket on, thus when you plug one plug into a live socket you have the other end with a 3 pin plug on it that has live pins!! which is what can happen with duraplugs!! i.e the plug gets connected to the live cable with the socket on your flymo,