"Don't use a mobile phone while charging" warning as man found dead

[webfact]

"Don't use a mobile phone while charging" warning as man found dead



BANGKOK: -- Two engineering experts have warned people not to use mobile phones while charging after a man was found dead in a room with a phone connected to an electrical supply on his chest.

The man named only as Patsakorn, 23, was found dead lying on the bed in his room, reported Daily News. Beside him was a extension lead and connected to that a phone being charged that was resting on his body.

The dead man's friend had said that he didn't dare do that and didn't want to lie on the bed while his friend was charging his phone like that.

Apparently he often did this.

The body has been sent for autopsy to determine the exact cause of death but no signs of a struggle were detected and there were no electrical burn marks on the body.

Bunyang Plangklang of the engineering department of Rachamongkhon Thanburi University of Technology said that an electrical shock of just 15 milliamps is enough to stop the heart and it only takes a second for a tragedy to occur.

Praphat Jongsathitwatana a computer engineering expert at Chulalongkorn University said that the man may have died of something else such as an existing condition but if asked as to whether a shock though an adaptor and phone can kill he would say that it can.

Both men advised that for safety's sake it is better not to charge a phone and use it at the same time. Both experts further cautioned that while fake accessories and cables could increase the chance of problems, electrocution could occur using real or fake products.

Source: Daily News

-- 2016-07-06

[canopus1969]

Two engineering experts

[Ceruhe]

Next advice is going to be what....don't live while alive?

Get your autopsy ready and define the death before making assumptions or even start spreading false rumors that will stick around for centuries because someone talked before thinking, morons.

[gandalf12]

Two engineering experts

Never knew they had Engineers here let alone Engineering Experts

[gandalf12]

If you buy items of dubious nature i.e. the cheap Chines phones and use fake items to charge it would be possible otherwise it would be very unlikely to occur. During a thunderstorm no you should unplug first but normally not necessary.

[jmccarty]

1.5v DC is dangerous to what?

[tukkytuktuk]

So charging your phone and resting it on your body could, maybe, have a chance of electrocuting you to death. Until an autopsy is carried on this guy, it's best not to take a chance. Okay people, feel safe now, thanks Thai experts, where would we be without their helpful advice?

Edited July 6, 2016 by tukkytuktuk

[phoenixdoglover]

There are many cheap chargers from China that have poor design and construction. These devices have a higher incidence of failure, which includes allowing high voltage on the low voltage side.

Unfortunately, many of these crappy devices are copies (on the outside) of the better quality OEM chargers.

Select your chargers with care!

Yours truly, Another "Engineering Expert"

Edited July 6, 2016 by phoenixdoglover

[jossthaifarang]

I'm no "Engineering expert", nor do i know anything about electrical engineering, but common sense tells me:

If the transformer in the charger gets fried or is not assembled properly, the 220v coming from the socket can then travel through the cord into the phone causing a surge.

Please someone correct me if I'm wrong?

[gandalf12]

I'm no "Engineering expert", nor do i know anything about electrical engineering, but common sense tells me:

If the transformer in the charger gets fried or is not assembled properly, the 220v coming from the socket can then travel through the cord into the phone causing a surge.

Please someone correct me if I'm wrong?

Yes you are wrong. The charger you get with a phone gives a 5VDC output. The incomer to the charger is mains voltage but not on the output.

[ezzra]

What chance dose anyone have using fake phones, fake batteries and fake substandard

electrical plugs and cables? it a miracle that many more are meting their demise by electrocutions

in this country.....

[gandalf12]

What chance dose anyone have using fake phones, fake batteries and fake substandard

electrical plugs and cables? it a miracle that many more are meting their demise by electrocutions

in this country.....

There are two prime issues with fake equipment. These are:

1. Fake batteries can explode and cause damage to you

2. Fake chargers can allow full mains voltage to the handset which would destroy the handset and possibly the user if it was in their hand at the time

[Basil B]

The above lable is typical of the many power supplies each and every one of us may use every day.

The symbol after the CE (square within a square) indicates the device is double insulated and safe to use without earthing.

The statement bellow (Made in China) says all certifications meaningless...

I live in a country where even company directors can be held responsible for such deaths and charged with "Corporate Manslaughter", are not the leaders of a country that turns a blind eye to exporting fake and dangerous products not guilty of manslaughter too???

Edited July 6, 2016 by Basil B

[gandalf12]

Elec lable.jpg

The above is typical of the many power supplies each and every one of us may use every day.

The symbol after the CE (square withing a square) indicates the device is double insulated and safe to use without earthing.

The statement bellow (Made in China) says all certifications meaningless...

I live in a country where even company directors can be held responsible for such deaths and charged with "Corporate Manslaughter", are not the leaders of a country that turns a blind eye to exporting fake and dangerous products not guilty of manslaughter too???

The CE sticker doesn't mean a thing. It just allows them to sell the products within Europe. They should also be made to have a test lab certification on it as well such UL Labs or the like. Same goes for ISO 9002 all it does is give a paper trail it is not a certificate of quality

[Andrew65]

You're right, CE stands for Conformite Europeene (French, of course!).

I always understood that 40V at 0.5 amp was the threshold of what is dangerous electrically.

Elec lable.jpg

The above is typical of the many power supplies each and every one of us may use every day.

The symbol after the CE (square withing a square) indicates the device is double insulated and safe to use without earthing.

The statement bellow (Made in China) says all certifications meaningless...

I live in a country where even company directors can be held responsible for such deaths and charged with "Corporate Manslaughter", are not the leaders of a country that turns a blind eye to exporting fake and dangerous products not guilty of manslaughter too???

The CE sticker doesn't mean a thing. It just allows them to sell the products within Europe. They should also be made to have a test lab certification on it as well such UL Labs or the like. Same goes for ISO 9002 all it does is give a paper trail it is not a certificate of quality

[petedk]

I'm no "Engineering expert", nor do i know anything about electrical engineering, but common sense tells me:

If the transformer in the charger gets fried or is not assembled properly, the 220v coming from the socket can then travel through the cord into the phone causing a surge.

Please someone correct me if I'm wrong?

Yes you are wrong. The charger you get with a phone gives a 5VDC output. The incomer to the charger is mains voltage but not on the output.

I think he is right.

He said if the transformer got fried. In that case there would be nothing to stop the 220V.

[luudee]

Better advice would be "do not buy aftermarket chargers, especially ones that are

made in china. If you must replace your charger, get an original charger from the

phone manufacturer."

If that is an original manufacturer supplied charger, it is highly unlikely that it would

do any damage, even during lightning. All equipment in the US has to pass UL

certification and in Europe CE certification. Companies like Apple, Samsung, LG

and so on, typically have both UL and CE certification.

I would be more concerned about the extension court on the bed.

Before coming to conclusions, they really need to perform an autopsy. It is always

amazing how the local police can determine the cause of death just by looking at

a victim without any obvious signs.

luudee

[Lannig]

"Volts burn, amps kills" is a well-known saying. The article is right saying that that many milliamps of current through the heart can kill (I can't say the exact figure, though). It's more important than the tension (number of volts) involved, although by the Ohm law the two are linked, of course.

Phone chargers do deliver 5 volts, that's correct. However all modern chargers use switched mode, not transformers, and this provides much, much less insulation from the 220V source in case of a component failure.

The "CE" mark on some cheap Chinese equipment is a well-known trick. It's supposed to be a Chinese "China Export" certification that means nothing. It's been made to look very, very much like the "CE" European Certification mark on purpose.

Some people claim that the "China Export" story is a hoax and that the CE marking on cheap Chinese stuff is nothing more than a fake.

[The Deerhunter]

Another good reason for not owning one of those metal-bodied phones that are so popular with Hi-So's. Or ones that copy the metal body to look classy. I deliberately have a plastic bodied phone with a soft plastic case around it and a reinforced glass screen cover. Metal conducts electricity so much better than plastic.

[Songlaw]

1.5v DC is dangerous to what?

It's not volts, it's amps that kill you. To wit, one amp would kill you 10 times in a second, were that possible. Or, more practically speaking, it requires only 1/10 of an amp to kill you. Therein lies the rub. Though I am hesitant (to say the least) to buy this story.

[gandalf12]

You're right, CE stands for Conformite Europeene (French, of course!).

I always understood that 40V at 0.5 amp was the threshold of what is dangerous electrically.

Elec lable.jpg

The above is typical of the many power supplies each and every one of us may use every day.

The symbol after the CE (square withing a square) indicates the device is double insulated and safe to use without earthing.

The statement bellow (Made in China) says all certifications meaningless...

I live in a country where even company directors can be held responsible for such deaths and charged with "Corporate Manslaughter", are not the leaders of a country that turns a blind eye to exporting fake and dangerous products not guilty of manslaughter too???

The CE sticker doesn't mean a thing. It just allows them to sell the products within Europe. They should also be made to have a test lab certification on it as well such UL Labs or the like. Same goes for ISO 9002 all it does is give a paper trail it is not a certificate of quality

It varies depending on your state of health and the environment. A current of 20mA if it passes through the heart will kill you. On that basis a lower voltage but if you were sweating would possibly do it for you

[gandalf12]

1.5v DC is dangerous to what?

It's not volts, it's amps that kill you. To wit, one amp would kill you 10 times in a second, were that possible. Or, more practically speaking, it requires only 1/10 of an amp to kill you. Therein lies the rub. Though I am hesitant (to say the least) to buy this story.

Your figures were picked out of the air obviously although you are correct about the volts. 20mA will do it for you and less if you are in bad health or are sweating. Where did you get 0.1A will kill you? That is 5 times the nominal threshold for having you leave this world

[Basil B]

I'm no "Engineering expert", nor do i know anything about electrical engineering, but common sense tells me:

If the transformer in the charger gets fried or is not assembled properly, the 220v coming from the socket can then travel through the cord into the phone causing a surge.

Please someone correct me if I'm wrong?

Yes you are wrong. The charger you get with a phone gives a 5VDC output. The incomer to the charger is mains voltage but not on the output.

Most modern chargers "Switch" the mains voltage around 220-230v ac (in most countries but also can handle mains voltages lower than 110v ac without the need for a different charger) to a lower voltage DC, these are "Switch Mode Power Supplies" they rectify the incoming Alternating Current (AC) to Direct Current (DC) before switching the voltage to the lower voltage and limiting the current, as AC voltages are measured at their RMS (Root Means Square) value and not their peek value after rectification and storage in a capacitor the stored voltage will = RMS voltage x 1.4142, therefore 230V will = 325v or higher dependent on power surges on the mains input, so if the insulation between input and output fails (or does not exist as I have found on a strip down of a "made in China" power supply) the OP voltage can be deadly...

Edited July 6, 2016 by Basil B

[mcfish]

Two engineering experts

Never knew they had Engineers here let alone Engineering Experts

If your Thai and own a screw driver your automatically upgraded to a technician. From there its an easy transit to engineer

[gandalf12]

I'm no "Engineering expert", nor do i know anything about electrical engineering, but common sense tells me:

If the transformer in the charger gets fried or is not assembled properly, the 220v coming from the socket can then travel through the cord into the phone causing a surge.

Please someone correct me if I'm wrong?

Yes you are wrong. The charger you get with a phone gives a 5VDC output. The incomer to the charger is mains voltage but not on the output.

Most modern chargers "transform" the mains voltage around 220-230v ac in most countries but also can handle mains voltages lower than 110v ac without the need for a different charger, these are "Switch Mode Power Supplies" they rectify the incoming Alternating Current (AC) to Direct Current (DC) before switching the voltage to the lower voltage and limiting the current, as AC voltages are measured at their RMS (Root Means Square) value and not their peek value after rectification and storage in a capacitor the stored voltage will = RMS voltage x 1.4142, therefore 230V will = 325v or higher dependent on power surges on the mains input, so if the insulation between input and output fails (or does not exist as I have found on a strip down of a "made in China" power supply) the OP voltage can be deadly...

Most phone chargers will automatically switch depending on the incoming voltage. As a safety precaution they assume the higher voltage i.e. 220 / 230 VAC but switch to 115 VAC if this is seen to be wrong. You dont need a separate charger for each voltage.

Chinese made chargers stay clear of them they are sub standard

Edited July 6, 2016 by gandalf12

[maewang99]

so there's one or 2 or 3 whatever billion people using cell phones... over several decades....and how many dead this way? is Donald Trump running out of really good one liners and the ISIS bombings and headcuttings getting too boring so somebody came up with this wonderful "new" story about cellphones.

Edited July 6, 2016 by maewang99

[Strangebrew]

Here is more advice Don't piss on electrical outlets Could be in for a shock. But on a serious note looks to be suicide to me.

[Basil B]

I'm no "Engineering expert", nor do i know anything about electrical engineering, but common sense tells me:

If the transformer in the charger gets fried or is not assembled properly, the 220v coming from the socket can then travel through the cord into the phone causing a surge.

Please someone correct me if I'm wrong?

Yes you are wrong. The charger you get with a phone gives a 5VDC output. The incomer to the charger is mains voltage but not on the output.

Most modern chargers "transform" the mains voltage around 220-230v ac in most countries but also can handle mains voltages lower than 110v ac without the need for a different charger, these are "Switch Mode Power Supplies" they rectify the incoming Alternating Current (AC) to Direct Current (DC) before switching the voltage to the lower voltage and limiting the current, as AC voltages are measured at their RMS (Root Means Square) value and not their peek value after rectification and storage in a capacitor the stored voltage will = RMS voltage x 1.4142, therefore 230V will = 325v or higher dependent on power surges on the mains input, so if the insulation between input and output fails (or does not exist as I have found on a strip down of a "made in China" power supply) the OP voltage can be deadly...

Most phone chargers will automatically switch depending on the incoming voltage. As a safety precaution they assume the higher voltage i.e. 220 / 230 VAC but switch to 115 VAC if this is seen to be wrong. You dont need a separate charger for each voltage.

Chinese made chargers stay clear of them they are sub standard

Apologise first I was editing my post while you posted, firstly I changed "Transform" to "Switch" as although Transform IMHO was the correct word to use, most would think I meant using a conventional transformer, What I was trying to say is that the newer power supplies use Switch Mode technology which means many of these power supplies can be used anywhere in the world without the need for having to buy another for say use in the United States where they use 110v 60hz as opposed to most other countries that use 220-230v 50hz.

[Basil B]

Here is more advice Don't piss on electrical outlets Could be in for a shock. But on a serious note looks to be suicide to me.

Also do not piss in a phone box, had a friend who was a telephone engineer who had to check out a phone box after a guy was admitted to hospital with a badly burned appendage.

[Prbkk]

I don't even touch it while it's charging let alone use it: as for having the charger sit on the body, it is tempting fate as this poor guy discovered. iPad is even worse because it can be help using both hands , making the potentially fatal loop ( maybe I have that bit wrong)