British Man Electrocuted At New Restaurant In Jomtien

[balo]

TIT

RIP

Let the Thais do the jobs , just stay away , and live a long happy life .

[scotto]

RIP and condolences to the wifey

Anything electrical at all to do with mains power call a electrician everytime!!!

no ifs buts or maybe s that is my rule number 1

elictrical appliances if in doubt throw it out rule number 2 .

[Estrada]

Everyone here has a lot to say about the "poor electrical work in Thailand" but all of them have overlooked the fact that it is THEIR responsibility to ensure that THEIR house or THEIR premises are safe. Not to mention that all the posters here seem to be very knowledgeable when it come to (after the fact) electrics - yet NOT ONE has mentioned the one inexpensive little device that could have saved ALL of those lives. It's called an Earth Leakage Relay - or a Residual Current Device. Look it up - and if you don't have one installed, then install one immediately. Before we have to type in yet another RIP!

Is this a Ground Fault Interrupter? Does it work on 220V. 220 is renowned as killer voltage for heart stoppage. Nothing good about water and ungrounded systems. Most modern countries have and electric code. As does International Building Code...This was not a home...was a commercial property and has different standards.. Horrible accident and condolences to his family.

Death can occur due to shock at any voltage above 55Volts. Around 60milliamperes of current can cause ventricular fibrilation leading to cardiac arrest. People with high resistance skin can touch live cables and not get more than a tingling sensation, those with low resistance skin are at risk. When I was a Student Apprentice Power Station Electrical Engineer, our Polish Electical Engineering Foreman used to check whether a circuit was live or not by jabbing it with his finger!

The problem in Thailand is that they selected the European 220/240V power supply system because the voltage drop on 110V is too high. This should be used as a twin and Earth system with a 3 pin plug and socket. However, they then proceeded to install the US/Japanese two pin plug and socket system which has no Earth pin, and therefore most appliances carry a risk of electric shock unless an earth, and earth leakage breaker is provided.

I am not impressed with the U.S. 110V Electical systems. When I was manufacturing Containerised R.O. Plants in the U.K. for a large American company, we were asked by them to rip out all the American 110V electrical systems which included bare copper knife type power switches, and replace them to European Safety standards. I hope that with the advent of the AEC by 2015, that Thailand will adopt the European Electrical Safety standards which Malaysia already follows, with UK styles 3 pin plug and sockets with earth and ELCBs.

The other problem is lack of awareness of what to do in a situation where someone gets an electrical shock. Had his wife known how to revive him then he may well have still been alive. If faced with a similar situation where the person is recevieng an electric shock (his wife described that she saw him shaking uncontrollably), if you cannot switch of the power, do not grab hold of that person directly but use a dry scarf, blanket, curtain or similar to insulate youself while you throw it over his body and pull them clear. Then perform CPR whilst awaiting for a medical team to arrive.

I had a situation like this at Skyport Telephone Exchange Heathrow Airport when an Electrician touched a live busbar in a generator cubicle. I used my scarf to pull him off and then he was given CPR and revived. In Thailand there is a lack of public awareness of safety and what to do in an emergency like this and more Public Education is required as well as a consideration by the Government to improve safety in general.

[TwoDogz]

I knew a Thai sparky that used to use his tongue to test for live wires.

Interesting re the skin sensitivity thing, did not know that.

I have had a few shocks with bare wires, one sent me across the room, it was only a small room though. But each time nothing serious happened. Yet I cannot stand the feel of it even in the electric fence low voltages used for animals, I could never touch them as others did.

[lovetotravel]

The problem in Thailand is that they selected the European 220/240V power supply system because the voltage drop on 110V is too high. This should be used as a twin and Earth system with a 3 pin plug and socket. However, they then proceeded to install the US/Japanese two pin plug and socket system which has no Earth pin, and therefore most appliances carry a risk of electric shock unless an earth, and earth leakage breaker is provided.

I think the two pin plug is a thing of the past here in the US, except on certain small appliances. I haven't lived in a house without 3 pin sockets in the US in a looooong time.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AC_power_plugs_and_sockets

Ungrounded NEMA 1-15 sockets have been prohibited in new construction in the United States and Canada since 1962, but remain in many older homes and are still sold for replacement. NEMA 1-15 plugs are still common because they are compatible with NEMA 5-15 (grounding) sockets.

[blackthorn2005]

So many places are potential death traps..Remember the tourist who touched the metal railing on the bridge over the swimming pool at a 5* hotel in Phuket last year..or the young lad who stood on the metal plate outside the shopping mall in Phuket also?Bloody scarey when you think about it!!

And the young boy boy who died in his Phuket room, playing on a PS2 after getting of of the swimming pool!

[foxboy]

Poor Tim. He'd spent a good twenty years in Thailand, so he was by no means naive.

So sad that he made a fatal error of judgement on this particular day.

God rest his soul and let his passing be a lesson to all of us. Never take unnecessary risks, ever!

[rolschu]

I assume he was trying to save some money by doing it himself. Next time call in the professionals, it may just save your life, that is my advice.

H&H

Unfurtunatly it was not the money. Tim hadenough of that! Sad story, he leaves two kids and wife.

[Rimmer]

Unnecessary comment removed