Electrocution deaths

The electrocution of an Irish tradesman working on Sydney's northern beaches was the result of poor supervision, minimal training and the man's decision to undertake work he knew little about, a coroner has found.

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Seems industrial deaths seldom make news except for a few inches unless its political fodder. How is it that a person can be in a job that has obvious dangers yet be unqualified ?

An email I got from change.org a few days ago informed of another death by electrocution in QLD that is disturbing because the parents cannot get an inquest 2 years after the event.

" On 27 February 2012 my son was fatally electrocuted at a work site in Clermont just weeks before his 21st birthday.  More than two years have passed and still my wife, my children and I are no closer to answers and justice for my son Jason.

We desperately need an inquest to be held into what happened on the work site that day. But our quest for justice is being hampered at every turn by lawyers for the construction company, who are delaying at every possible point.

You see - the Coroners Act of Queensland prevents an inquest commencing until after every other matter related to the death has been dealt with.  It’s an unnecessary bureaucratic delay and it means that the lawyers for the construction company can hold up the inquest by delaying all the other legal matters, like the fact they’re also facing charges of failing to discharge an electrical safety obligation.

I’m asking the government to fix the law -- urgently -- so that an inquest into my son’s death can commence.

https://www.change.org/p/campbell-newman-please-allow-an-inquest-into-my-son-s-death-justice-for-jason-reform-for-all?utm_source=action_alert&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=148045&alert_id=CWdxOdGbfn_d%2B0lFEGIyBjEQaev7BYSxwIBPw6cLuJYodx9S8dqL4A%3D

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Yes this is disgusting ...

Funnily enough, unless you're a licensed electrician, it's illegal to change a lightbulb in Victoria. This doesn't just apply to public buildings, either; it's actually against the law to change the lightbulb in your own home. 

Listening to fairy stories again pete...........don't be so stupid

Was the Irishman a licenced elecrician ?

Quote pete "Funnily enough, unless you're a licensed electrician, it's illegal to change a lightbulb in Victoria."

pete, I think you should read stuff other than what is written by pickerink and the like. Try and get educated and stop writing all this frog dung.

Maybe read up on the Victorian Electricity Safety Act of 1998 before you make a complete fool of yourself.

When messing with electricity the first law is to switch it off before doing anything including disconnection.

I have seen some really terrible work done by licenced electricians..........I wait till they go and redo it to my standard.

It is the law in Victoria ,

don't tell lies pete

Gerry don't call me a liar . It is the law in Victoria . 

pete , you claim to need an electrician to change a light globe in a house.

That is a lie in which case you are a liar. Do you understand that now.

I didn't say you need an electrician to change a light bulb .i said it is against the law in Victoria to change a light bulb unless you are a licensed electrician .

Suffice to say you're unlikely to get charged for doing it today, but even if you do, the penalty's just a $20 fine. Hardly worth worrying about.

pete what you said was "Funnily enough, unless you're a licensed electrician, it's illegal to change a lightbulb in Victoria."

I say that is a lie. And you have not been able to give us a copy of that law.

I have given you a link to the Vic electrical safety act so you could educate yourself. But I realize that is very difficult.

So I repeat you are a liar.

"When do I need an electrician ?
The answer to this question is very simple - no work should ever be done on your home electrics unless the work is performed by a Licensed Electrician or Registered Electrical Contractor (R.E.C.). The most work you're really allowed to do without the proper qualifications is to change a light bulb."
http://www.build.com.au/when-do-i-need-electrician"

pete, instead of giving me a link to someone's blog re urban myths , give me a link to the law re changing a light globe. I have given you a link to the Vic electrical safety act which does not mention light globes. Please stop all the lies huh.

“Red tape is impeding Australian retailers. We hope the Abbott government uses this day to repeal redundant laws that impede retailers from doing business, not just removing clearly outdated laws, for example the law that exists in Victoria stating that only licensed electricians may change a light bulb*. We hope this repeal day will have a direct impact on retail businesses and see a significant reduction in unnecessary red tape.

http://www.retail.org.au/ArticleDetails/tabid/232/ArticleID/605/Retailers-welcome-much-needed-%E2%80%98repeal-day%E2%80%99-and-urge-all-State-and-local-Governments-to-follow-suit.aspx

having a problem finding a copy of the law pete ?

Workplace health and safety laws gone mad.

I suppose one can accidently break the glss bulb, cut themselves or worse proceed to eletrocute themselves in the process.

When light globes first came into use, they probably needed to be handled with care.

Sol it is as the retail assoc says an outdated .law that is not enforced. The Abbott govt has a repeal day where it repeals outdated las and regulations . Vic needs to do the same...

Reminds me of Labor's Pink Batts saga

Even changing a light globe can be fraught with danger, or death, to the inexperinced, especally if hands are wet causing a short.

There was nothing wrong Solo, with the idea behind the pink bats scheme, it was in the way it was executed by ignorant politicians, then you have the Employers out to exploit untrained workers, not training, or warning them of the dangers with electricity, the result tragedy.

Seth why should I pay for someone to insulate their house .

They are the ones saving money on elecricity..

Seth

You are correct and a business that ignores or breaks OH&S state and federal laws should be penalised. The deaths of 4 men ended up with guilty sentences on the companies which of course one avoided by declaring bankruptcy, usual scam. For all the hooha its still going on so what have the inquiries achieved ? An unqualified worker keys electrocuted while a company avoids scrutiny by delaying a family getting a coroners report.

My husband is an electrician (now unlicensed)  and he does all that needs doing in our home.  Saves us quite a bit of money.

Has he heard of this law that Pete speaks off and has Gerrys nickers in a knot

no nickers knotted here aquaSol (fertiliser)

just bumping

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