Saturday, February 21, 2009

Death By Electricution!


The other day at work we had a problem with our industrial size trash compactor. Since I am in receiving it is my duty to make sure all is functioning in the back room area. That includes the trash compactor. Sometimes when it is brought back from the dump. The driver is too lazy to plug it back in so I have to go out and do it for him. This is what I thought had happened being that there was no juice pumping into it so we could start compacting garbage.


I went out side and walked in between the back of the store and the compactor. I looked down and realized my shoes were getting wet and that I was standing in two inches of water due to snow melt. I looked at the 3 inch thick 480 electrical chord and saw that it was plugged into the compactor like it should be. The next step was to check out the power switch on the side of the building. It looks like a switch to an electric chair and is probably the same type they use in capitol punishment.


I realized that the safety switch had been triggered and I needed to reset it. I flipped the Green Mile type electric switch to the off position and reset the safety. Then I proceeded to flip the huge handled switch to the on position. I figured that would the trick and went inside to test it out. Nothing happened so I got my socks all soggy for no reason. We called our store maintenance guy in to look into it further. What he found in the breaker room were 3 blown fuses.


You see what happened is the 480 chord had wires that were exposed to the puddle I was standing in. That in turn tripped the safety switch off on the Green Mile like power switch and blew the circuits in the breaker box. The scary thing is if those circuits would not have blown. I would have reset the safety switch and thrown the power switch to the on position instantly killing me. I would be fried like a chicken nugget! God saved me once again from another horrible death at work. I am thankful I am still here for my family and to write this blog. I am also thankful I am well enough to go to church tonight!


2 comments:

moondoggie said...

great experience,better story. its a good practice to inspect all electrical cords on a regular basis.its done in construction trades due to mutiple people handling them,some timesnot reporting damage that has occured and others getting zapped. great pictures todd, love yaass,dad

Todd said...

Safety first or you become a Krispy Creme!