Electrocution

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Re: Electrocution

Might be a good time to change the building codes to force the carpenters to drill and tap to 10-32 for all screws tying the studs together. That would never happen, but I have long wondered if stories like the one in the link will start popping up.
 
Re: Electrocution

IMO the easy solution is to require metallic wiring methods be used with metal studs.

Once you fasten 1/2 dozen metallic boxes to the studs that area will be bonded.
 
Re: Electrocution

Thats not a bad idea either. :D

I miss the smell of wood and I have never gotten a splinter as bad as the cuts I get off the metal.
 
Re: Electrocution

Thats not a bad idea either. :D

I miss the smell of wood and I have never gotten a splinter as bad as the cuts I get off the metal.
 
Re: Electrocution

I don't have an answer...But that is sad...What is the Chicago area doing? EMT? MC? in residential.......Would it help? Our goal is to install per "Code" but on the other hand no one is going to pay for anything beyond.....trades come in behind other trades....who messed with what?.....
 
Re: Electrocution

wouldnt happen by me no nm with metal studs. outfit your van with a full compliment of tools and material to handle all phases of electrical work.
 
Re: Electrocution

Interesting this has come up over here on this board. We have been discussing this on the IAEI Florida Forum.

It appears that an amendment has been sent to the Florida Building Commission and was approved by the Electrical Task Committee requiring the bonding of all metal wall systems in all structures.

It now goes in front of the whole commission in May. Upn approval there, it will be adopted to code with the 2005 NEC in October.
 
Re: Electrocution

Bryan did you watch the video?

Under the current code, this event should not have happened. It happened because:
[*]Existing codes were not followed
[*]Existing codes were not enforced
[*]Poor quality workmanship by electricians who are supposed to be under the DIRECT supervision of their license-holder usually don't even know what the license holder looks like.

How is another regulation on bonding going to address any of that?
 
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bottom line is
1) should be a electrical code saying no romex used with metal studs even with gromets, or
2) be a building code saying no metal studs for residental construction.
but its all about the money
 
Re: Electrocution

Some type of bonding should be used on metal studs.It was an accident waiting to happen.But what method could we use.I do think if metal boxes where required this likely would never have happened.It is structural steel so should be bonded.
 
Re: Electrocution

Any metal studs that are not load bearing are not structural.

If the NM cable had been kept in the middle of the stud, per the NEC, then a 1-1/8" drywall screw would not have penetrated the cable.

However, I would vote for metal boxes on metal studs.
 
Re: Electrocution

I like my idea about drill and tap all studs together with 10/32 screw and possibly bolt. Make the other trades suffer with some of the stuff we have to go through. Even better- force a green screw requirement on them. Just don't tell anybody that this was my idea.
 
Re: Electrocution

I just know that if the electrical inspector that is being named in the suit is found liable in any way whether criminally or civilly, every electrical inspector in this state is going to rethink their enforcement. Meaning, some are going to go overboard...
 
Re: Electrocution

Did you notice that the wiring for this situation was within the webbing side of the metal studs. What I tell contractors to try and do when wiring the web side is to cut small sections of track and support the NM to the track, keeping it out of the web.

Using metal boxes on metal studs - grounding those boxes may help to bond some of the studs, but all...

Like one poster mentioned, we can have a million regulations, that does not solve the problem of poor workmanship/enforcement.

I am curious to see how this case goes, as the woman mentioned a very strong statement....murder!!! That is very serious and this could have very far reaching implications in our industry.
 
Re: Electrocution

This is not an isolated case unfortunately. There have been at least two other similar events within a year of this one here in Florida. In both cases, noone was seriously hurt or killed so it hasn't raised that much attention.

The difference in the other two cases involved that insulation board with aluminum facer I questions about a few days back.

In one case, a screw penetrated a cable in the wall and energized the aluminum facer. Arcing and heat along joint lines started a fire and burned a siginifcant area of an apartment.

In the second case, the same event took place except this time the aluminum facer energized the track to the sliding glass doors. As the homeowner walked in or out of her home through the door, she received small shocks.

We had a report about 3 months ago about a gutter installer that was getting shocked from the aluminum soffit. The contractor was notified and corrected the situation. We never learned what the cause was due to.

Long story short is that this issue keeps popping up at IAEI meetings and on these Forums. We are discussing this very issue over at the IAEI board.

This story has been on all the news channels now for the last couple of days.
 
Re: Electrocution

Bryan again in those cases you describe I imagine existing code rules had been violated.

To be perfectly frank it seems that making a new rule is just a public relations move to make it look like something has been done to fix the problem when really the problem has been lack of enforcement and supervision.
 
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