I started causing mayhem at a young age by energizing a floodlight, causing a smoldering floor to nearly catch my home on fire. My brother Mike impressed me with the screwdriver he melted when he was assisting the electrician working on my dad’s office. Man, those sparks were cool.

I have harped for years about electrical safety. Granted, I look at things through a safety filter more than most. But here is what I see.

Bad cord ends

Electricity Can Jump

I recently returned to the scene of a tragedy that occurred decades ago. A prospective client called me to a home on a small lane that caused me to flash back to a father and son who died from electrocution simultaneously while they were working together to trim some overgrown tree limbs with an aluminum ladder.

Idaho Power had a great demo of the phenomenon that should be taught in every classroom.

It added to the list of painters, electricians, farm workers, homeowners, and others whom I have treated when they inadvertently come in contact with voltage and amperage that caused unimaginable trauma. I have a vivid memory of one fellow’s shoes whose sole nails melted the rubber sole as it passed back into the ground after passing through his body.

Cord end collection

9-volt Battery Testing

Who here has tested a 9-volt battery with their tongue? I have.

Who among us has had 110 volts scare the hell out of themselves?

Who is the braniac who keeps taking the grounding lug off the extension cords? Your mine!

Electricity at the job site is a necessary part of our industry, perhaps less so than we have battery-operated tools. Let’s face it, we work in all sorts of climatic events, we work above the ground, and we work in confined spaces. None of these places is conducive to being shocked, figuratively or literally.

Keeping Smoke In The Wires

Real electrical harness replacement, smoke

As a teenager, I developed a love for old British cars. Electricity was only 12 volts, but it made a lasting impression upon me. My Austin Healey had a red wire that ran all of the running lights. It came without a fuse of its own.

All I know is that when the smoke came rolling out from under the dashboard, the lights flickered for a bit, then went out, and to no one’s surprise, the car stopped working. Ergo, the car runs on smoke. The jokes about Lucas, Queen of Darkness, hit home.

All Extension Cords Are Not Created Equal

Current passes through wire like water passes through pipes. The more current you need the larger diameter the cord must be. Using skinny cords with devices that need lots of energy causes all sorts of problems. It is bad for the device, and the cord gets really hot. Then there is the situation where a large cord is used, and the demanding device pulls power until the breaker pops. That is the safety if you will that will prevent the internal wires of the structure from melting or causing combustibles to ignite.

Anyone who has seen the Money Pit has a vivid memory of this happening

OSHA Has it Right

They have a no-tolerance approach to working with faulty extension cords. We put a premium on hunting down bad cords and fixing them and or replacing them as needed.

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