The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1915-09-22
Cutting Out the Shocks
By Frederic j. Haskin


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.s11ece.,Hta;at 1a,a:aatata,a,a,'ss:
Protection from electrical accI-
dents Is the latest phase Of the
insurance companies are all work
corporations. scientific societies and
insurance companies abe all work
ing to cut down the iu.M:cUsa loss
Of the electrical shock
An annual SAVING of at least L.
900 fires Is e1pected to result from
the ratification OF the National cleo
trical Safety Code by @ great confer
ence of state and municipal COM
missions and electrical and indus
trial organizations to be held In
Washington October "a to 20.
4 This code consists OF rules formu-
lated by the United States Bureau
of Standards with the help Of vari-
Gus industrial organizations. 1t will
be adopted by firms in all parts OF
Il the country.
The utilization Of electric energy
In Its different applications has more
than quadrupled during ten years.
The danger to electrical workers
and the public from electricity Is
fully seventy-ive per cent greater
now than ten years ago. Over Il
500 deaths occurred last year from
electrical ACCIDENTS. AT leaa. 1000
of these might have been prevented
with proper precaution.
Fire Losses.
In addition to these deaths are the
IRE losses due to electricity. These
are being minimized by the use Of
fire prevention rules. with regard to
the installation OF wiring, and the
equipment of buildings. Fire un-
derwriters associations have made
the granting OF insurance largely de-
pend upon conformance with these
rules.
The loss of life from electrical ac-
cidents is about evenly divided be-
tween electrical workers and the
general public. All of the latter,
and a large percentage OF the for.
mer. could be protected by a greater
care in the installation Of electrical
equipment and campaign Of edu-
cation which would teach how to
avoid danger.
The new National Safety Code is
divided into four parts. The first
governs the installation and main
tenance of electrical supply stations
and equipment The second applies
to overhead and underground e.ec-
trical supply and signal lines; the
third deals with electrical equip
ment in workshops, and the fourth
contains safety rules for the opera
ton OF electrical equipment and
lines.
An Increasingly large number Of
fatalities occur in nthe home, chief.
ly because many persons have the
false impression that 1t requires
high voltage to produce fatal results.
Death comes frequently from con-
tact with ordinary ITO or 220 cir
cults. When proper precautions
have not been taken in the wiring
Of house, a person may become a
part of low~voltage circuit by stand
ing upon concrete floor, or touch
ing metal pipes an a bath room,
laundry or kitchen, while the hand
| is also In contact with electrical fit
tings.
Concrete Dangerous.
Is Men have been electrocuted In
their own Easements, while going to
lIreplenish the furnace fire. II one
stands upon a concrete floor as he
breaches the socket to turn on the.
electric light, he may touch the
brass shell which. has come in con-
tact with the live" parts within,
and receive the fatal shock instant
ly. A switch connection at the top
OF the stairs overcomes such a risk.
A bank employee carried a lamp
socket into a vault. The Insulation
OF the socket was defective. The
metal floor of the vault was con-
Quoting agent for the current. which
took his life. A young banker in
Nebraska touched a live wire acct
dentally exposed while he was put
ting away some metal bake pans. He
was killed instantly.
The danger from contact with a
metal bath tub or gas range, both
Of which have connecting pipes rum
ming down into the grot1rd where
they possibly may come into contact
with live wires, Is avoided by, never
touching electric equipment, and
either of these objects at the same
time. The lectric light In the kitch-
en- should be so placed that a woman
could not turn it on at the same
time she is trying to light the gas
range. Several fatalities have been
reported from this cause.
A number of persons have heen
killed by attempting to use an cleo
trio vibrator in the bathtub. Damp
ness and water are excellent con-
ductors for electric currents. Any
one using an electric iron in a damp
hoored basement should be sure to
stand upon q thick dry board. The
little daughter Of a physician in At
lantic City came into the Office Of
her father and picked up a small
clinical lamp. She was attired in q
wet bathing suit. She leaned
against q radiator and was fatally
shocked when the lamp came in con-
tact with her wet dress.
Brass Sockets Bad.
Accidents In the home are largely
due to carelessness and ignorance
upon the part Of the family, al
though q large number OF them