Drowning from Electrical Shock it happens in Ponds and pools more than you think . Luckily new technology can alert to this hazard

 A young family on vacation the 2 young girls get on their bathing suits and cant wait to get swimming in the pond  at there rental cottage. they slip into the water off of the dock  and their father who is close by notices one daughter appears to be in distress  . He runs to the dock as he yells to wife to call 911  to find both girls not moving he dives in to save them but his life is alsmost taken as well. 

Hi joints are locking up he can barley move and becomes unconscious luckily the local rescue squad removes him and he is saved but its too late for the girls.

It is later revealed bad wiring at the dock for a light put an electrical charge in water around the dock.

Unfortunately this scenario is playing out all over the country as witnessed in articles below.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/parents-warn-about-electric-shock-drowning-after-15-year-old-girls-tragic-death/

https://nypost.com/2019/07/17/9-year-old-california-girl-dies-from-electrocution-in-pool/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLqftHp8eCo

Badly installed wiring , faulty and deteriorating wiring  its all over the place I have been warning about this for years. and a Ground fault Interrupter GFCI  will not protect you.

But now there is a product available to prevent this Called Shock Alert which gives  an alarm when it detects electrical current in a water source  

 

https://www.shockalert.com/

 

It both beeps and gives a visual alert  when it activates  and is simple to deploy and use.

around $200.00 or less  retail  it is now a required item in new electrical installations 

where water is involved .

There is an even more sophisticated unit on market called Dock lifeguard  which warns as well as cuts off the docks power by tripping the GFCI

https://docklifeguard.com/

This silent killer as it is known is only going to get worse as pools and docks and their infrastrutue gets older . 

If your going swimming at a lake or pond  follow following tips

• Use a plastic ladder, rather than a metal one, so it won’t help transfer electricity into the water.
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• If you start to feel a tingle in the water, swim away from the dock, which is where most electrical issues occur.

• Check all of the wiring around your dock, including your ground fault circuit breaker. 

Have fun this summer but do so safely 

Fire Departments doing dangerous Practices during Drill nights and then posting them on Social media .

 When it comes to Fire Dept's and Drill Night I am seeing an ever alarming amount of poor and tottaly unsafe practices by these dept's.

Then they post their practice pictures showing serious safety violations  on Social media and think nothing of it .

Take a fire Dept in Beaver County Pa. who where practicing High and  Angle  Rope rescue Techniques in what appears to be a waste water treatment plant .

They have their rescue rope tied off around a large Variable Frequency Drive units .

A serious Major OSHA Violation  due to nature of  This equipment capable of producing hazardous Arc flashes which can explode the requirement you must be properly trained and some time attired with PPE before you even go near it.

Had an OSHA inspector walked in while that drill was going on there would have been hell to pay and plant operator would face hundreds of thousands in fines if not loose operating privileges .

When a Fire dept goes into an industrial setting during drill nights . They must follow all applicable OSHA regulations just like any other employee or Contractor. 

This is not a suggestion its an Order as we are told om job sites and fire dept's better get with it. Before there is a serious accident.

Talking about Accidents waiting to happen check out this picture. I found on a Fire dept's Social media page

What the hell is this fool thinking using a power tool with no safety glasses standing on some type of table .

If he tried that on a job site he would be fired.

I see pictures all the time of jaws of life being used in a game called Junga? where they practice with the tool to remove blocks of wood etc. and no safety glasses as required by OSHA that tool no matter how well built it is can break and splinter and object being cut can shatter and blow debris everywhere .

Where is the safety officer ? 

No wonder so many firefighters get hurt on the job for not using common sense and not following standard safety protocols. Established by NFPA and OSHA

I was recently stuck behind a traffic accident  with a fellow firefighter on I-68 in WV when I finally was allowed thru accident scene there was a fire fighter standing in traffic no safety gear on no flashlight or lights flashing on truck being used to block road.  and it was a very dark scene I stopped got out of truck yelled at firefighter and gave him a reflective vest  I had on truck. again where is the safety officer?

I see dept's that do it right and I see too many who do not . 

Its time for dept's to wake up and get proper safety training and safety  officers in place .

I see all too often firefighters not in reflective gear working  traffic or a scene both day and night  

and if you do get hit by a vehicle and not properly attired you are in for serious trouble. 

You failed to follow safety rules you can be denied insurance coverage  for the accident .

Your dept could have its insurance dropped .

Do we need a Safety Stand down and Review in Pa. and WV definitely