Toddler dies after handyman leaves plug lying aroung
- Thread starter skenk
- Start date
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If you believe this, it doesn't sound like he had just chopped the plug off the end as we previously thought.
or is it just exaggeration?
From the way it's written, it sounds like the cable was stripped, as it would not be possible to 'grasp' the live with one hand the neutral with the other if the cable had just been cut.
I suspect maybe the new oven came with a cable and plug attached, and the handyman disconnected it so it could be hardwired?
I suspect maybe the new oven came with a cable and plug attached, and the handyman disconnected it so it could be hardwired?
I would like to see what evidence Mr Madden based his findings on.
I have used a plug top with stripped conductors on the flex before, to help me out with some testing procedures.
I have used a plug top with stripped conductors on the flex before, to help me out with some testing procedures.
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If he's cut the plug off the appliance, for what reason has the cable been stripped back?
Im guessing that he removed the complete flex and plug from the new oven and connected what ever was poking out of the wall and feeding the old oven, it's all irrelevent, his neglagence has ended an innocent life and the parents, family and himself all have to try and live with that, if they can.
J
joinerjohn
Is it really the negligence of the DIY'er or negligence on the part of the parents of the child? Had this happened 20 yrs ago, the DIY'er wouldn't have even been mentioned. However, in this day and age of compensation (and therefore blame), he get's it in the neck.We have the benefit of hindsight in this case, but what if,, he'd left the cable by the oven and the child had not picked it up and plugged it into a socket? The parents would have thrown it out with the oven, and this accident would not have happened.
I notice they didn't mention anything about the parents not watching the child closely to ensure he didn't play with the old cable.
When I was young, we used to play near open ponds etc, play football in the middle of the road, go missing for hours upon end. Sure our parents were perhaps worried when we didn't turn up at dinner time, but they were over the moon when we came home safe (albeit a few hours late). Our parents taught us as best they could, what dangers were and what could happen if we did certain things.
A neighour's lad climbed a tree, fell out and broke his arm and his parents accepted that it was the lad's fault.
Nowadays, they'd be down the solicitors , finding out who owned the tree. They'd approach the HSE to find out why the tree was able to be climbed by "little Jimmy" What could be done to prevent kids climbing trees in future, then take the owner of the tree to court and claim thousands in compensation.
Get real. Could the DIY'er in this case have foreseen that a young kid would have plugged the old cable in? How far do you think H&S has to go? Perhaps H&S won't be happy until we are all doing risk assessments for everything we do?
The wife want's to make love tonight?? Where's the risk assessment mate? Not done one? then you have no chance of coupling with your beloved.
PS,, I've already done a risk assessment as to the likely-hood of me getting RSI from typing too much, but have considered this negligible, but who knows? I might be seeking compo form DIY Donuts in 20 yrs time.
I notice they didn't mention anything about the parents not watching the child closely to ensure he didn't play with the old cable.
When I was young, we used to play near open ponds etc, play football in the middle of the road, go missing for hours upon end. Sure our parents were perhaps worried when we didn't turn up at dinner time, but they were over the moon when we came home safe (albeit a few hours late). Our parents taught us as best they could, what dangers were and what could happen if we did certain things.
A neighour's lad climbed a tree, fell out and broke his arm and his parents accepted that it was the lad's fault.
Nowadays, they'd be down the solicitors , finding out who owned the tree. They'd approach the HSE to find out why the tree was able to be climbed by "little Jimmy" What could be done to prevent kids climbing trees in future, then take the owner of the tree to court and claim thousands in compensation.
Get real. Could the DIY'er in this case have foreseen that a young kid would have plugged the old cable in? How far do you think H&S has to go? Perhaps H&S won't be happy until we are all doing risk assessments for everything we do?
The wife want's to make love tonight?? Where's the risk assessment mate? Not done one? then you have no chance of coupling with your beloved.
PS,, I've already done a risk assessment as to the likely-hood of me getting RSI from typing too much, but have considered this negligible, but who knows? I might be seeking compo form DIY Donuts in 20 yrs time.
It was a handyman and his assistant, who presumably were paid for the work. In any case whoever left the flex lying around (and then left the premises!) has got to take the responsibility for this???? You shouldn't be leaving that lying around even if there aren't children about.
A toddler cannot make a risk assesssment on the cable, he sees people using a plug and socket and suddenly a plug becomes available for him to try. A lad climbing a tree has the ability to make a judgment of what will happen if he falls, i certainly was. As a toddler i couldn't climb trees.
Children, more so toddlers, will not understand electricity, they are learning to balance, walk, talk, everything is an adventure. They copy people. You simply cannot leave a plug and flex with a stripped end around, even in an old couples house. If a moulded plug is ever left anywhere the fuse should be removed and then the pins bent so that the plug is destroyed and cannot be used again. If the plug is a re-usable one then the flex should be disconected from the socket. I dont feel this is health and saftey gone mad, I condider it common sense.
Children, more so toddlers, will not understand electricity, they are learning to balance, walk, talk, everything is an adventure. They copy people. You simply cannot leave a plug and flex with a stripped end around, even in an old couples house. If a moulded plug is ever left anywhere the fuse should be removed and then the pins bent so that the plug is destroyed and cannot be used again. If the plug is a re-usable one then the flex should be disconected from the socket. I dont feel this is health and saftey gone mad, I condider it common sense.
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