Paying the ultimate price for homeowner goof

John R. Hall

There is a lot of talk here on The Wall and other places about homeowners and DIYers who try and play the role of professional contractor. This link is to an article about a repairman who paid the ultimate price with his life. The run-on words make it a hard read but worthy of a mention:

http://www.mortgage101.com/partner-scripts/story.asp?ID=38553

Mike T., Swampeast MO

Like I've EVER seen

guard rails around stairwells in homes under construction.

John R. Hall

Oh well...

...you learn something new every day!

Uni R

Old news... but here is the original story

This could have happened just as easily with many general contractors. Tragic for the carpenter and no doubt terrible for the homeowner who has to live knowing what happened, but accidents do happen, and rules are made to try and prevent them and when they aren't followed the laws are enforced.


NEWMARKET, ON, June 26 /CNW/ - A homeowner, who was overseeing construction of a new family residence in Richmond Hill, Ont., was fined $20,000 on June 20, 2003 for a violation of the Occupational Health and Safety Act that resulted in the death of a worker.

On April 1, 2002, a trim carpenter, who was hired to install door and window trim at a new two-storey home, fell about 3.2 metres (10.5 feet) through a stairwell opening on the first floor to the basement below. The worker was taken to Sunnybrook Health Science Centre, where the worker died the next day. A Ministry of Labour investigation found there were no guardrails at the sides of the stairwell opening. The incident occurred at a home being constructed on Tennison Road in Richmond Hill.

The homeowner pleaded guilty, as a constructor, to failing to ensure a guardrail system was used where a worker had access to the perimeter or open side of a floor and was exposed to a fall of 2.4 metres (eight feet) or more. This was contrary to Section 23(1)(a) of the act.

The fine was imposed by Justice of the Peace Connie Hartt of the Ontario Court of Justice in Newmarket. In addition, the court imposed a 25-per-cent victim fine surcharge, as required by the Provincial Offences Act.

Duncan_6

Eight feet or more ?

> This could have happened just as easily with many

> general contractors. Tragic for the carpenter and

> no doubt terrible for the homeowner who has to

> live knowing what happened, but accidents do

> happen, and rules are made to try and prevent

> them and when they aren't followed the laws are

> enforced.

>

> NEWMARKET, ON, June 26 /CNW/ - A

> homeowner, who was overseeing construction of a

> new family residence in Richmond Hill, Ont., was

> fined $20,000 on June 20, 2003 for a violation of

> the Occupational Health and Safety Act that

> resulted in the death of a worker.

>

> On April 1,

> 2002, a trim carpenter, who was hired to install

> door and window trim at a new two-storey home,

> fell about 3.2 metres (10.5 feet) through a

> stairwell opening on the first floor to the

> basement below. The worker was taken to

> Sunnybrook Health Science Centre, where the

> worker died the next day. A Ministry of Labour

> investigation found there were no guardrails at

> the sides of the stairwell opening. The incident

> occurred at a home being constructed on Tennison

> Road in Richmond Hill.

>

> The homeowner pleaded

> guilty, as a constructor, to failing to ensure a

> guardrail system was used where a worker had

> access to the perimeter or open side of a floor

> and was exposed to a fall of 2.4 metres (eight

> feet) or more. This was contrary to Section

> 23(1)(a) of the act.

>

> The fine was imposed by

> Justice of the Peace Connie Hartt of the Ontario

> Court of Justice in Newmarket. In addition, the

> court imposed a 25-per-cent victim fine

> surcharge, as required by the Provincial Offences

> Act.

Duncan_6

Eight feet or more ?

You Canadians are real men! Here in the States, I think anything more than four feet needs a guardrail.

A plumber friend of mine took a fall a while ago.

You won't believe this...

Roofers doing the roof deck with felt paper covered right over an open skylight hole cutout. Period.

My friend took a TWENTY FOOT FALL through that "tiger trap" and landed on some carpenters sawhorses. Bruised lung, broken ribs, and now he doesn't quite have proper use of his legs.

Unknown

Builders

I was working on a dorm jobsite when the carpenters were putting down plywood on the top deck. One of them put down a piece that stuck out over space on a corner, because it covered an inside corner of the deck. One of them walked out on it, and it tipped up.

He landed on his feet in sand, shattered both heels.

Where would he have put the railing, and when? Before the deck went down?

There were railings up right after the deck went down.

Noel

Mark Eatherton1

ZZZAAAAappp....

Myself and one of my lead guys were working yesterday on a system. He got shocked for no apparent reason. Then I got shocked for no apparent reason. Grabbed the volt meter and started looking for voltage potentials. Found 58 volts between the cold water line serving the tank we were working on and earth ground. 58 volts,I sez, where the heck would 58 volts be coming from...

Further investigation found that the homeowner had installed a bathroom fan off of a circuit in the basement. He tried to make it look professional and all, using BX etc. Only problem was, he hadn't used any anti abrasion bushings where the wire leaves the end of the BX. A minor wiggle, and the 58 volts turned into 120. The BX was in contact (draped across) the cold water line in the ceiling.

Could have electrocuted myself and my lead man.

When we explained this to the HO, she said "Huh, maybe that why I keep getting shocked in my shower..."

If you don't know how to do it right, don't try to do it at all. Someones life (maybe yours or a loved one) may be at stake.

Be careful out there.

ME

jackchips_2

Had a similar

situation years ago. Started cutting into a 4" cast iron soil stack and got-as ME would put it-zzzzaaaapppped.

Wish I could remember the why it happened but I called the Electrical Inspector, a good friend. He came over and did something with a ground and all was well.

Don't like, didn't like, won't like, can't like electricity--you just can't see it. Also, many years ago, got knocked off a ladder while starting to drill a whole. Was wondering why my buddy wasn't around when I picked up the drill to finish his work. Low and behold, he had gotten knocked off 5 minutes earlier.

Did I say I don't-------

Dave Yates (PAH)

The argument

round here from our code officials has always been that they can't stop Harry the Homeowner from working on his own castle.

OK, fair enough. But what about when Harry dies or moves away? Somebody else now lives with the sub-standard un-inspected work.

I've been hammered by the blue spark more than once when separating the cold water lines during repairs. Tain't any fun.

My home town is hurting for funds. Most cities are these days. But York has decided the mechanical contractors (plumbers specifically, since we're the only trade licensed here) must bear a bigger portion of the bail out. Our license fees have been doubled. Charge per fixture is now doubled and inspections are no longer tied to the permit - they are charged at $60 per hour with a $30 minimum charge per visit. But not for the trunk slammers and hacks - there has yet to be one single case of them being fined or busted for working without a license or permit. Seems like there's a message in there somewhere(G).

To Learn More About This Contractor, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Contractor"

Boiler Guy

Another ZAP

Here's one for ya. Just landed a new account. 50 buldings. First major repair on one particular building was replacing a Maxitrol Amplifier for the modulating gas valve. No problem ! WRONG!!! 3 weeks later -- defective again. Spent 4 hours checking absolutely everything. Nothing found. Well, must have been a defective part. WRONG AGAIN!! This time I met the cleaning contractor on site. I foud 240 volts at my control board! OUCH! Turns out there were no 240volt plugs for his cleaning machine so he made himself a suicide cord and connected one side to 110volt control feed and the other to the 110volt hot water circulator. Hmmmm instant 240! His idea worked great until he decided it was just too much trouble to shut the breakers off to disconect and just jerked the clips off the wires. Found out this was the 7th amplifier changed in 6 months. The owner thought the previous contractor was scamming him. I found all of the other amplifiers neatly piled behind the damper motors. Needless to say they now have a new cleaner who is the proud owner of 8 - 10 ounce $400 electronic boat anchors. Is this what they call poetic justice?

Earthfire

hot waterpipes

find that a lot in old houses with no ground rod for the entrance panel(switch).Used to be everything that need a ground was hooked to the water pipes. Then somebody makes a quicky repair with one of the quest plastic unions and the next person to touch the plumbing gets a tingle.In todays work enviornment training should include not just plumbing code but also basic business practice (like how to figure cost of doing business),and the NEC. cause some things that you don't know can kill you & not just bankrupt you!

John R. Hall

Training

I get the feeling that the mechanical trades need supplementary training in the basics of electricity. I don't mean that as a criticism -- only as a means to promote safety on the job.

Earthfire

hot pipes

another great source of electricity to water lines are electric dryers and ranges. They used the ground for a neutral for all the 120V functions in the appliance. And the manufactures still supply that cute little aluminum wire and clamp to hook to a water line. Every time the unit is on it is sending 120V down the water line looking for the easiest path to ground. and if there is a clock on the unit the current flow is continious.

Dave Yates (PAH)

sparky tradesmen

We do just that John. Electrical troubleshooting skills are no longer an option for service mechanics. Those who chose not to learn them as we progressed beyond thermocouples now find they are from the Jurassic period and heading quickly towards extinction. There really was a time when you could just about get by without an electrical meter. Look back just ten years and at the testing meters we had at our disposal & then at the ones we're all utilizing today. This ain't your father's Oldsmobile!

To Learn More About This Contractor, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Contractor"

Mike T., Swampeast MO

We're STILL paying

for the "war of the currents".

While Edison was busy electrocuting horses on stage to show the dangers of A/C, Tesla was operating a boat by REMOTE CONTROL on a pond in Central Park and developing his plans to run BOTH power AND "return" through the earth and/or atmosphere.

Uni R

Mike Norgan's Pix

John that situation was no different than this...

http://forums.invision.net/Attachment.cfm?DSCF0002.JPG&CFApp=2&Attachment_ID=6745