Boy shocked at summer school

[WirenutGP]

Unfortunately some kids need to learn the hard way.

http://www.herald-mail.com/?cmd=displaystory&story_id=198349&format=html

07/11/2008
HCC student camper suffers electric shock
By ERIN CUNNINGHAM
erinc@herald-mail.com

HAGERSTOWN ? A 10-year-old boy was injured Thursday at an academic enrichment camp after sticking a paper clip into a live electrical socket.

The student at Hagerstown Community College's College for Kids program was flown by helicopter to Children's National Medical Center in Washington, D.C., for treatment, according to college spokeswoman Beth Stull and Maryland State Police. The boy's hands were burned about 11:20 a.m., Stull said.

The boy was in a computer class when he stuck the paper clip into the electrical socket, and the action was "independent of what he was doing in class," Stull said. She would not release the boy's name.

"Clearly, it was just an unfortunate incident where the child chose an action that had an unfortunate consequence," Stull said.

She said she did not know the extent of the boy's injuries Thursday afternoon, and that college officials were in touch with his parents.

There are 750 students in HCC's annual College for Kids enrichment program. The summer classes are open to children in first through 10th grades, Anne Myers, program manager for lifelong learning and College for Kids, said in an interview with The Herald-Mail last week.

More than 70 one-week programs are offered through the first week in August.

Stull said the college does not have electrical outlet covers in its computer lab. There are covers in the college's on-site day care, she said.

"In a computer lab, obviously, there are electrical outlets," Stull said. "We wouldn't think that would be a problem for 10-year-olds."

She said officials would be looking into the incident, and the College for Kids program will continue.

"We will assess the situation and see if there's anything that could be done," Stull said.

Officials discussed the incident with other students, and a letter is being sent home to all parents of children enrolled in the program, she said.

 

[mdshunk]

See, right there, TR receptacles prevent injury. For the cost of the helicopter ride and the boy's hospital bill, they could have fitted out a major part of that campus with TR's.

 

[iwire]

See, right there, TR receptacles prevent injury. For the cost of the helicopter ride and the boy's hospital bill, they could have fitted out a major part of that campus with TR's.

I don't know what to say, that is exactly the opposite response I was expecting.

I agree with Marc.

 

[nakulak]

I have to disagree. I am all for safety, but if a 10 yr old doesn't know not to stick things in electrical devices, then his parents should pay for someone to teach him that simple thing. They obviously didn't, and now someone else is going to have to pay for that failing. Presumably, this poor common-sense deficient child will now spend the rest of his life being flown to shock trauma when he crosses the road without looking, walks into holes without looking, lights fires with gasoline, runs over his foot with the lawnmower, and who knows what else. Society does not have the resources to protect this child from parents who did not teach him how to stay alive.

 

[hillbilly1]

It's an unfortunate incident, but it's hard to idiot proof everything, even with tamper resistant devices, someone will figure out how to get around it. Common sense and personal responsibility is getting to be very rare in this country nowadays. The kid was probally put up to it by his "friends".

 

[JohnJ0906]

At 10 years old, if I had done this, my more painful injuries would have come from my old man, after the fact.

I like the TR receptacles, for the most part, but do we need to put them everywhere?!?

 

[mdshunk]

I like the TR receptacles, for the most part, but do we need to put them everywhere?!?

Yeah, they need to be everywhere. Cha-ching!

 

[JohnJ0906]

Yeah, they need to be everywhere. Cha-ching!

I do see your point.... :grin:

 

[mdshunk]

I do see your point.... :grin:

Got a boat to pay for.

Okay, maybe it's not mine, but a man's gotta have dreams.

 

[76nemo]

If you feel TR devices are $$$$$, fine. I am ALL for safety. As far as the kid who stuck the paper clip in the socket, he wasn't in a frickin' nursery, maybe he should of been Sorry, but I don't see this as a tragedy. I have twin daughters. If one of them did the same, I wouldn't be pampering anybody. I can see TR in daycares. Electricity can kill, just like drugs. Don't we teach our kids about drugs when they are little???????


So what? Should we have all of our kids wear rated footwear because we don't have eye contact with them 24-7???

 

[iwire]

Why does the code require cover plates on devices?

We could just tell everyone not to touch the hot parts.

I guess I get the last laugh here as the code is now in place in many areas. :grin:

 

[hillbilly1]

Why does the code require cover plates on devices?

We could just tell everyone not to touch the hot parts.

I guess I get the last laugh here as the code is now in place in many areas. :grin:

Hey! lets just make it illegal to make metal paperclips, then this kid could not have got shocked! There are reasonable steps to take like cover plates, but you can't make everything totally safe. Just like gun laws, you can kill someone just as easy with a car. Do we need to make them illegal too?

 

[iwire]

It's a done deal, the 2008 has been adopted in many areas.

Time to start writing code proposals for 2011 if you feel that strongly. :smile:

 

[hillbilly1]

Follow the money, a lot of code requirements are pushed by manufactures to sell their new products. (such as Arc Fault breakers)

 

[iwire]

Follow the money, a lot of code requirements are pushed by manufactures to sell their new products. (such as Arc Fault breakers)

Without a doubt.

What changed my mind about this one was the substantiation provided, a couple of thousand kids a year go to an E-Room from receptacle shocks.

 

[76nemo]

I support the NEC. The arc fault rules amend improper wiring and the TR is pushing it. I see these rules as preventing hacks fron doing professional work.

Again, I am ALL for safety. Maybe the NEC was intended to protect HO's from handymen? Sounds right to me.

 

[brian john]

I see these rules as preventing hacks fron doing professional work.

Not sure I follow your logic..Expand PLEASE.

 

[76nemo]

Not sure I follow your logic..Expand PLEASE.

I can see protecting infants from juice. I can't see arc fault conditions amending anything. They were directed to be placed in bedrooms at first. What, are bedrooms allowed to the installer to be slacked off on?????

Are we going to have to have AFCI mains in 2014????? I am ALL for safety, but this is getting out of hand. I am all for GFCI protection, the NEC rules for regulation on AFCI circuits seems like, well,.... I don't know what to say

 

[hillbilly1]

Arc fault breakers are a good idea, but the manufacture should have perfected them a little better before the initial release. I think arc fault protection should be added to heat tape circuits, as I personally think a lot of failures are due to the manufacturing process, not just to improper installs.

 

[don_resqcapt19]

See, right there, TR receptacles prevent injury. For the cost of the helicopter ride and the boy's hospital bill, they could have fitted out a major part of that campus with TR's.

Given the boy got burns, he had to put the paper clip into two slots...the TR receptacle will not prevent you from sticking objects into both slots even if you do them one at a time.