Doctor BagThe Shock Doctors 
 Your home electrical problems diagnosed, treated and cured - Guraranteed!                                                            ECRA/ESA #7001377 

May 2012
In This Issue
Inspecting electrical equipment
Replacing old style plug ends

IT'S SPRING

 

  
1-800-400-2255 Underground power lines on your  property  can  be dangerous to work around. Please use extreme caution and always call before you dig.
 
Overhead power lines are also dangerous. Stay at least 10' away when pruning trees and shrubs.

 

 

     With the onset of warm, sunny weather comes the sprouting of Garage Sale signs on every corner. I want to caution you about the hazards of yard sale electrical finds and give you a few tips to help you make a wise purchase.
   
 Happy ELECTRICAL SAFETY MONTH 
Terry portrait
Terry
Chief of Staff
@ The Shock Doctors

 

 

 

 

Tragic combination

Patrick Desjardins, 17, died last year while buffing the garage floor at a Wal-Mart in Grand Falls, New Brunswick.The floor polisher had been purchased by one of the other technicians at a yard sale and brought to the garage for use, the court heard. Another technician had spliced an extension cord to the buffer. A rag and some green painter's tape were wrapped around the cord in a makeshift attempt to cover the connections. (full story)

Video surveillance showed Desjardins' hand came into contact with the rag. His knees buckled, he grabbed the cord and fell onto his back on the wet floor. The polisher fell on top of him and he suffered a fatal electrical shock. The buffer was plugged into an ungrounded outlet at the time.
 


This tragedy is a powerful reminder as we head out on our spring and summer garage sale treasure hunts about the potential dangers of used and damaged electrical equipment.

 

Inspect electrical equipment thoroughly

 

Before you bring home a tool or appliance from a yard sale have a good look at it:

  1. Start with the body of tool: examine handles and the body for cracks and check for damaged switches and ones with faulty trigger locks. Check that correct guards and shield are still attached.
  2. Next, inspect the cord for cracking, fraying, or cuts in the cord insulation. Check to see that tools with a 3-prong plug have a matching 3-wire cord. (People sometimes think that just putting on the newer plug gives them shock protection- it does not.)
  3. Finally, inspect the plug end for cracks and for missing, loose or faulty prongs.

   If it fails this three-point inspection, it is probably past its useable lifespan - pass on the purchase!

Replacing old style plug ends

If you buy an older device with and open front plug replace it with a dead-front plug.

Dead front plugs are sealed and present less danger of shock or short circuit.

 

 

                                    Plugs open and dead front
No more adapting plugs allowed

Three-prong plugs should only be plugged into properly grounded 3-prong outlets. Adaptors to accommodate a two-hole receptacle are now banned and have been proven to cause fatal accidents. It goes without saying - never to remove the third, grounding prong from a plug to accommodate a two-prong receptacle.

 

One final safety reminder: All power tools used outdoors must be plugged into a GFCI outlet. Do this- even if you have to run an extension cord from the bathroom!

Ask the Doctor 
Q.What is the most common defect sited by the Electrical Safety Authority? 

 

Doc Says: The ESA reports that the NUMBER ONE defect is an unlabelled panel. In an electrical emergency , the ability to cut off the power to the correct location is critical. Don't have an unlabelled panel at your home.
Do YOU  have a question for the Doctor? 
   StethoscopeIf you have a question about the health of your electrical system or just wondering about a little "plastic surgery", ask the doctor: Just click below and send your question to terry@theshockdoctors.ca
 
Weatherproof GFCI

Our gift for Electrical Safety month 

 2 for 1

GFCI protection  
 

Upgrade any receptacle to GFCI-protected (indoor or out) and we will upgrade a second one absolutely free.
                                                                                 Offer Expires: May 31st    
Here's to a great yard sale season!
 
ECRA./ESA
ECRA of the ESA #7001377

Cheri Professional 
Cheri 
The Shock Doctors