10-year-old Thai boy electrocuted by water cooler

[Darkknight666]

Dang. Poor kid just wanted a cup of water and he gets done in by incompetence. RIP youngster.

[Tonawatchee]

Condolences to the young boy and his family. Another victim of Thai circumstance.

[VINCENT2012]

i am not surprised as fast nobody or no one.... in villages or even towns has the cable earth, from any electric staff conected to where it belong....to the ground as it as to be done.even the cable size is mainly wrong every where....in my village because of bad electric instalation, in 5 years , 3 houses burned with everything inside included motorcycle etc etc..still they dont learn and keep doing the same stupid thing.....!

to them there is no money for good electric system but they have money for beer and rice alcool..

thats the education they have.

[Joe Bloggs1]

So the cooler was known to be faulty? Would it have been too hard to cut off the mains plug and attach a "Do Not Use" label? To cut off a plug just needs scissors you know.

Incidentally such an appliance ought to be powered by a socket that is protected by an Earth Leakage Circuit Breaker also known as a Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter or in French "Interrupteur Differentiale" as water and electricity can be a bad conbination. Of course if the appliance had been properly earthed it would still have been safe.

An ELCB socket is not unduly expensive but presumably life is cheap. Some people just don't have a clue when it comes to electricity as I have seen photographs of shower cubicles that have power sockets built in. Presumably the sockets are intended for hair-dryers?

The UK used to have dangerous wiring as before WW2 it was common to have two pin mains plugs. Later such wiring would get three pin sockets fitted but all too often the Earth pole or Protective Conductor pole was not connected to anything. A "Teddy Boy" at my old school was electrocuted because of this. Of course the lout who was bigger than any of the teachers didn't obey any rules including the one about not taking electrical appliances into the bathroom. He was killed when he reached out of the bath to change a record on his record player. The player had a cord grip which had cut into the mains flex. Unfortunately the cut had connected the live conductor to the record player chassis so the lout who was perfectly earthed and would have had wet hands never had a chance. Take care!

[elgordo38]

Sorry but the school has an obvious duty of care especially when dealing with children in prathom, to ensure their saftey at all times whilst at school. To simply tell the students that it is broken, to not plug it in, but leave the cooler there, where is can be plugged in is simply unacceptable. It should have been removed immediately. No excuses, the school and its staff failed in their duty of care.

Add failed miserably. They should have cut the plug off immediately when it was apparent that there was a problem. I think no one wants to accept responsibility here. I had a funny thing happen to me to today which demonstrates Thai culture. It is off topic so will not go into detail. Suffice to say I thought I had Thai culture figured out WRONG!! RIP little fellow.

Edited August 11, 2015 by elgordo38

[ChrisY1]

Stupid dumb adults!!

[metisdead]

An off topic post has been removed.

[sammygood]

who is in charge of

a ) maintenance

b ) cleaning that filthy tank once and a while

[bangon04]

Come on you blokes, this has not happened in the usa or britain or Australia??? Yes the school was at fault,yes a rcd system would of saved the childs life but bitching about the people isnt going to help. In your wisdom, instead of criticism, how about educating or helping to pay for upgrades in schools near you.

aaah yes.. EDUCATION. Of course that is the answer. School is a good place to start with education...

Have you ever tried giving advice to a Thai school director? Maybe you should try it?

They will accept money and even gifts but advice??

So by all means you pay for upgrades if you want - maybe buy a new water cooler for the school and when you are around the corner they will plug the old one in again.

[SteveB2]

About time Thailand introduced Portable Appliance Testing...

A earth leakage trip should also be mandatory on machines like that.

Not only electrical issues but also looks like a breading ground for all sorts of nasty bacteria.

The implemented earthing standards in all Thai buildings that I have visited during the last 20 years in LOS is either completely missing or literally shocking.

Then you have the usual 'dogs dick' method of joining wires together coming into the equation for added double-jeopardy.

This, coupled with next to zero meaningful auditing of electrical installations, no PAT testing, no pre-emptive maintenance, and cowboy electricians who don't know one wire from another guarantees that tragic accidents such as the subject of this thread will continue to happen.

Thailand just don't seam to be ready for implementing electrical safety regs anytime this decade. I guess that not enough people have died yet, and that there are other, more important things to worry about.

[Thai at Heart]

Come on you blokes, this has not happened in the usa or britain or Australia??? Yes the school was at fault,yes a rcd system would of saved the childs life but bitching about the people isnt going to help. In your wisdom, instead of criticism, how about educating or helping to pay for upgrades in schools near you.

Ive just spent 3 days concreting holes in the road near my land, mixed by hand, locals couldnt give a flying <deleted>, but build a new buddha worship hut in the village very important, Ive even watched them fall off their bikes on the corner of my land going down the holes.....guess thats why they had to build the stoopid Buddha hut so he would protect them.....problem solved eh

The odds that this will happen in the UK are very slim, due to the necessary but often overbearing use of health and safety.

If it did, police would be instantly involved and custodial sentences for criminal negligence would be underway very rapidly. Sadly, with no fear of punishment, there is little or no incentive to implement health and safety properly.

[masuk]

No earth country.

A terrible price to pay for ignorance!

I am always amazed that Thailand cannot even lay down the law regarding electrical safety.

Just go to any retail store and look at the appliances on sale. There are at least FIVE (5) different plugs, with a wide range of earthing types, some with no earthing..

I wonder if there are such folk as licenced electricians, who of course have their work check by a qualified electrical inspector on all new projects.

[Thai at Heart]

No earth country.

A terrible price to pay for ignorance!

I am always amazed that Thailand cannot even lay down the law regarding electrical safety.

Just go to any retail store and look at the appliances on sale. There are at least FIVE (5) different plugs, with a wide range of earthing types, some with no earthing..

I wonder if there are such folk as licenced electricians, who of course have their work check by a qualified electrical inspector on all new projects.

You think that anyone in a position of power in government understands wiring, the costs of it, the dangers of the system in THailand or anything else? The extent is hiring a chaang to do the wiring and change a lightbulb. They probably believe electricity is made in the wall by the switches.

[Balance]

So, there were two coolers, one was working, and presumed to be plugged in. Then there was one that was not working and unplugged sitting next to the one that was working. The boy then picked up the plug of the one that was not working and unplugged and plugged it in. Why did he do this he wanted cold water and there was a working one sitting there?

Of course, there was no sign on the bad cooler, and no one cut the power cord off to prevent anyone from screwing up and plugging it in, and no one removed the cooler. And of course, in Thailand, no one is responsible for negligence. How about reassigning the principle?

[attrayant]

I'd like to know why the boy was allowed to walk around bare-footed (which he most likely was if this was a ground-fault electrocution).

This term I am having my senior physics class build a handheld ground-fault sensor and then walk around the school checking every single appliance. Maybe I'll take a few minutes of lecture time to present this story as a "here's why you're doing this project" discussion.

[DrTuner]

Maintenance and repairs. Thais would rather make themselves extinct than do either.

[oslooskar]

Maintenance and repairs. Thais would rather make themselves extinct than do either.

I'm now wondering how well Thai Airways maintains its aircraft.

[Jonmarleesco]

This is not the first time. There has been several similar tragedies over the years

And there will be more, and not just with electricity. Thais and safety one day the twain shall meet - but not just yet.

[Jonmarleesco]

This is not the first time. There has been several similar tragedies over the years

And not just with electrical appliances. Thais and safety one day the twain shall meet. But until that day ...

[Jonmarleesco]

About time Thailand introduced Portable Appliance Testing...

A earth leakage trip should also be mandatory on machines like that.

Not only electrical issues but also looks like a breading ground for all sorts of nasty bacteria.

The implemented earthing standards in all Thai buildings that I have visited during the last 20 years in LOS is either completely missing or literally shocking.

Then you have the usual 'dogs dick' method of joining wires together coming into the equation for added double-jeopardy.

This, coupled with next to zero meaningful auditing of electrical installations, no PAT testing, no pre-emptive maintenance, and cowboy electricians who don't know one wire from another guarantees that tragic accidents such as the subject of this thread will continue to happen.

Thailand just don't seam to be ready for implementing electrical safety regs anytime this decade. I guess that not enough people have died yet, and that there are other, more important things to worry about.

'Then you have the usual 'dogs dick' method of joining wires together coming into the equation for added double-jeopardy.' They join them? I thought they just relied on touch.

[VIPinthailand]

Thailand is based on a pyramid system.

if the guy on top doesn't care nobody care.

same system is any third world country.

you can not change them because it s in their DNA.

accident like this one will happen. it happens everyday.

the guy who unplug the water cooler should had cut the power cable. but he didn't , why should he? nobody take any responsibility in Thailand, this is why they are all poor with no future. and they still don't get it if you explain them...

Edited August 11, 2015 by VIPinthailand

[Jonmarleesco]

Come on you blokes, this has not happened in the usa or britain or Australia??? Yes the school was at fault,yes a rcd system would of saved the childs life but bitching about the people isnt going to help. In your wisdom, instead of criticism, how about educating or helping to pay for upgrades in schools near you.

You don't think it should be the government's job to educate? Once they have been duly educated, of course.

[crusty]

About time Thailand introduced Portable Appliance Testing...

A earth leakage trip should also be mandatory on machines like that.

Not only electrical issues but also looks like a breading ground for all sorts of nasty bacteria.

Seems we can just add yeast and the breading ground will produce sandwiches. Poor little kid, the school 100% guilty of manslaughter and this country thinks they can operate submarines ????

[Basil B]

Sad story but as others have said it has happened before. It will happen again nothing will be learned from this. Thailand is like a big merry-go-round nothing new just reincarnations of

previous mistakes

laws broken

committees formed

crackdowns

ETC ETC.

It would be less likely to happen again if they did not consider it an accident but more a failing of those responsible and they were punished in a manor that will remind others that they have a duty of care.

[Tywais]

This term I am having my senior physics class build a handheld ground-fault sensor and then walk around the school checking every single appliance.

These are commonly used for a few baht. Neon tester. I know a couple of items around our house that are 'hot'. One is the electric water heater for coffee and the other an electric wok. At least our previous ones were but have been replaced.

[crusty]

Thailand is based on a pyramid system.

if the guy on top doesn't care nobody care.

same system is any third world country.

you can not change them because it s in their DNA.

accident like this one will happen. it happens everyday.

the guy who unplug the water cooler should had cut the power cable. but he didn't , why should he? nobody take any responsibility in Thailand, this is why they are all poor with no future. and they still don't get it if you explain them...

And "neighbouring countries will gasp in AWE of our technical prowess"

[balo]

I'm happy I do not have a kid here in Thailand.

I would be worried to death about the safety for my kid, at school , on the roads and elsewhere. I know life is not safe anywhere in the world but the risks increase by 5 times in Thailand.

[Aussie123]

and the 'boy' connected it to the power outlet 'herself' . RIP

[Mudcrab]

About time Thailand introduced Portable Appliance Testing...

A earth leakage trip should also be mandatory on machines like that.

Not only electrical issues but also looks like a breading ground for all sorts of nasty bacteria.

Usually there is an earth wire connected to the outer "shell". But how does it help if there is no earth wire in the house and no detection in fuse board.....

A residual current device will operate with no earth connection.

How? if there is no earth wire and I connect the line with the housing how can the current device recognize that?

The device compares the current flow in the live and neutral conductors.

If the currents are not equal the device will trip.

It does not measure the current in the earth wire like the older style devices. -for instance the ELCB earth leakage circuit breaker that you may be familiar with.

For domestic/commercial (people protection) applications they are usually rated at 30mA, The actual rating may be subject to local/national codes, I believe some hospitals in some regions mandate 10mA in some cases.

In practice the RCD is supplied as part of a combined RCD and circuit breaker as the circuit still needs overcurrent protection for normal use.

Google "RCD" or "Safety Switch".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Residual-current_device

Bear in mind though that if you grab both the active/line/hot wire and the neutral simultaneously the RCD won't trip as the current is balanced - even while it is passing through you.

Edited August 11, 2015 by Mudcrab

[TomJoad]

Many of those water filters/coolers in schools have overflow issues. If the student's feet were wet, it would have made the current a lot more deadly.