# Mass Electricution



## ilikepez (Mar 24, 2011)

_'On Monday, the 14-year-old girls were part of a crew of about 72 detasseling corn near Tampico when they were hit by an electrical shock from a field irrigation system, according to the Whiteside County Sheriff's Office.

The electrical shock was felt by a number of workers in the field. Hannah and Jade were taken to CGH Medical Center in Sterling, where they were pronounced dead. Another injured crew member was also taken to CGH, while a fourth was airlifted to OSF St. Anthony Medical Center in Rockford, according to the sheriff's office.

The rest of the crew was taken to the Rock Falls Fire Department for evaluation. That led to six more workers taken to CGH for "what is believed to be non-life-threatening injuries," according to the sheriff's office.'_

Two young girls killed and two more hospitalized. With an additional six people mildly injured. I saw this today and I'm shaking my head. I've never heard of so many people getting electrocuted by the same piece of equipment. Apparently they all got shocked by an irrigation system of some type. 



http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-sterling-farm-deathes-20110727,0,4120810.story


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## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

ilikepez said:


> _'On Monday, the 14-year-old girls were part of a crew of about 72 detasseling corn near Tampico when they were hit by an electrical shock from a field irrigation system, according to the Whiteside County Sheriff's Office.
> 
> The electrical shock was felt by a number of workers in the field. Hannah and Jade were taken to CGH Medical Center in Sterling, where they were pronounced dead. Another injured crew member was also taken to CGH, while a fourth was airlifted to OSF St. Anthony Medical Center in Rockford, according to the sheriff's office.
> 
> ...


Considering the fact that no license or training is required in most of that state for Electrical work it is not a surprise.
It should not have happened.



> OSHA spokeswoman Rhonda Burke said the accident investigation could take up to six months to complete.


OSHA should really take there time six months to look at the source of the irrigation system I'll bet they can stretch that out for a least a year after all the problem could not possibly be found inside the bulding that the irrigation system comes from.:blink:


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## crazy electrician (Apr 30, 2011)

ilikepez said:


> _'On Monday, the 14-year-old girls were part of a crew of about 72 detasseling corn near Tampico when they were hit by an electrical shock from a field irrigation system, according to the Whiteside County Sheriff's Office._
> 
> _The electrical shock was felt by a number of workers in the field. Hannah and Jade were taken to CGH Medical Center in Sterling, where they were pronounced dead. Another injured crew member was also taken to CGH, while a fourth was airlifted to OSF St. Anthony Medical Center in Rockford, according to the sheriff's office._
> 
> ...


 This happened about 20 miles north of me.


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## crazy electrician (Apr 30, 2011)

HARRY304E said:


> Considering the fact that no license or training is required in most of that state for Electrical work it is not a surprise.
> It should not have happened.
> 
> OSHA should really take there time six months to look at the source of the irrigation system I'll bet they can stretch that out for a least a year after all the problem could not possibly be found inside the bulding that the irrigation system comes from.:blink:


 Generally a licensed EC would have wired an irrigator. You dont see many farmers messing with 480v or controls. I've never seen a farmer mess around with a roto phase which is what is required in that area. That is, if you want 3 phase anyway.


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## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

crazy electrician said:


> Generally a licensed EC would have wired an irrigator. You dont see many farmers messing with 480v or controls. I've never seen a farmer mess around with a roto phase which is what is required in that area. That is if you want 3 phase anyway.


I thought that outside of Chicago there was no license required to perform Electrical work?


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## crazy electrician (Apr 30, 2011)

HARRY304E said:


> I thought that outside of Chicago there was no license required to perform Electrical work?


 There isn't, but in most larger towns you have to be a licensed EC in order to pull permits. So in general every EC is licensed or they couldn't work in any of those towns, which is were most of your business comes from.


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## Wirenuting (Sep 12, 2010)

HARRY304E said:


> I thought that outside of Chicago there was no license required to perform Electrical work?


Each town has their own requirements for a license. Some require you take a test and some require a cup of coffee with a good story to show competence.


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## crazy electrician (Apr 30, 2011)

Wirenuting said:


> Each town has their own requirements for a license. Some require you take a test and some require a cup of coffee with a good story to show competence.


 Not true, at least in my location anyway. In order to get a license from any of the Muni's around here, you have to show proof of your license that actually required an exam and a copy of your liability ins and some places also require a bond to the city and an umbrella.


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## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

Wirenuting said:


> Each town has their own requirements for a license. Some require you take a test and some require a cup of coffee with a good story to show competence.


A good cup of coffee..:thumbsup:


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## crazy electrician (Apr 30, 2011)

Wirenuting said:


> Each town has their own requirements for a license. Some require you take a test and some require a cup of coffee with a good story to show competence.


 What part of IL are you in?


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## Wirenuting (Sep 12, 2010)

crazy electrician said:


> Not true at least in my location anyway. In order to get a license from any of the Muni's around here you have to show proof of your license that actually required an exam and a copy of your liability ins and some places also require a bond to the city and an umbrella.


Ok, how do you get a license if you have to proof of your license? Gotta start someplace. 

Like I said, each village is different. Some require more then others. Some don't require anything for a residential permit and yet require greater proof for a commercial permit. Others require you take their test given 3 times a year based on their code cycle and amendments. 

It's nuts and personally I would like to see a state license put on place. It would be better for all involved. 

BTW, I'm not required to be licensed were I work. We make the rules but aren't required to follow them.


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## Wirenuting (Sep 12, 2010)

crazy electrician said:


> What part of IL are you in?


Up in lake county. 
Wanna come work for us?
Always looking for people who have a clue. Or at least I look for people who have a clue,,, my bosses don't know the difference.


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## Wirenuting (Sep 12, 2010)

HARRY304E said:


> A good cup of coffee..:thumbsup:


You know I always make good coffee,
I'm no coffee hack.


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## crazy electrician (Apr 30, 2011)

Wirenuting said:


> Ok, how do you get a license if you have to proof of your license? Gotta start someplace.
> 
> Like I said, each village is different. Some require more then others. Some don't require anything for a residential permit and yet require greater proof for a commercial permit. Others require you take their test given 3 times a year based on their code cycle and amendments.
> 
> ...


 I agree it is nuts, and there should be a state license. Hell, you have to have a state license to cut hair but not to perform electrical work. I took my licensing exam in the City Of Ottawa which almost every city in the state accepts with the acception of Chicago which is ok because I dont know of any towns that accept their license either. I have to show proof of my Ottawa license in order to be able to be licensed in the other towns that require it.


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

Wirenuting said:


> We make the rules but aren't required to follow them.


:thumbup::thumbup:

Isn't that always the case? :thumbsup:


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## crazy electrician (Apr 30, 2011)

HARRY304E said:


> Considering the fact that no license or training is required in most of that state for Electrical work it is not a surprise.
> It should not have happened.
> 
> OSHA should really take there time six months to look at the source of the irrigation system I'll bet they can stretch that out for a least a year after all the problem could not possibly be found inside the bulding that the irrigation system comes from.:blink:


 The biggest problem we have here is that there are no regulations enforced when it comes to farm work. The farmers run the state and thats probably why there never will be a state license in IL. If everything had to be done by code when it came to agriculture, the prices would go up tremendously. Doesn't make it right but it's the facts. The only reason we have any license requirement at all is because of the IBEW pushing it. Trying to put the non union worker out of work.


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## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

crazy electrician said:


> The biggest problem we have here is that there are no regulations enforced when it comes to farm work. The farmers run the state and thats probably why there never will be a state license in IL. If everything had to be done by code when it came to agriculture, the prices would go up tremendously. Doesn't make it right but it's the facts. The only reason we have any license requirement at all is because of the IBEW pushing it. Trying to put the non union worker out of work.


Maybe this accident will change that.


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## crazy electrician (Apr 30, 2011)

HARRY304E said:


> Maybe this accident will change that.


 I hope so. IL needs some good changes. That includes our politicians. Though I'm very doubtful that it will. This was a tragic thing that happened. My prayers go out to all the families that lost their child.


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

HARRY304E said:


> Maybe this accident will change that.


Why would it?


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## don_resqcapt19 (Jul 18, 2010)

crazy electrician said:


> I agree it is nuts, and there should be a state license. Hell, you have to have a state license to cut hair but not to perform electrical work. I took my licensing exam in the City Of Ottawa which almost every city in the state accepts with the acception of Chicago which is ok because I dont know of any towns that accept their license either. I have to show proof of my Ottawa license in order to be able to be licensed in the other towns that require it.


 Thanks...the city makes good money giving that test at $50 a crack and a failure rate of about 60%. There are only a few cities in Illinois that test, but many other cities require passing a test to get a license. Ottawa is a town of about 19,000 people but we have almost 1,000 active electrical licenses. 
(I am a member of the City of Ottawa Electrical Commission)


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## don_resqcapt19 (Jul 18, 2010)

I haven't seen any details of exactly what happened. Was there an actual problem with the electrical system, of did they damage the electrical system with the detaseling machine?


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## TOOL_5150 (Aug 27, 2007)

I would hardly call 2 dead a "mass electrocution"


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## crazy electrician (Apr 30, 2011)

don_resqcapt19 said:


> Thanks...the city makes good money giving that test at $50 a crack and a failure rate of about 60%. There are only a few cities in Illinois that test, but many other cities require passing a test to get a license. Ottawa is a town of about 19,000 people but we have almost 1,000 active electrical licenses.
> (I am a member of the City of Ottawa Electrical Commission)


 Don't forget about the $100 license fee that has to be renewed every year. 60% failure rate? I feel really good about passing it my first time then.


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## crazy electrician (Apr 30, 2011)

don_resqcapt19 said:


> I haven't seen any details of exactly what happened. Was there an actual problem with the electrical system, of did they damage the electrical system with the detaseling machine?


 What I hear is that the farmer had called an electrician the day before hand because it had been hit by lightning. The electrician wasn't able to get there that day. The following day was the accident.


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## don_resqcapt19 (Jul 18, 2010)

crazy electrician said:


> Don't forget about the $100 license fee that has to be renewed every year. 60% failure rate? I feel really good about passing it my first time then.


 Yes, if you want the license too, it is $100 a year. Some of the other cities are ok with the letter that says you passed our test. 

Last month only 25% of the test takers passed. Not really sure why...it is an open book test and you have all day. We have had to take steps to prevent cheating. We now provide a code book and scratch paper for the test taker to use and we collect all cell phones before you enter the testing room.


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## crazy electrician (Apr 30, 2011)

don_resqcapt19 said:


> Yes, if you want the license too, it is $100 a year. Some of the other cities are ok with the letter that says you passed our test.
> 
> Last month only 25% of the test takers passed. Not really sure why...it is an open book test and you have all day. We have had to take steps to prevent cheating. We now provide a code book and scratch paper for the test taker to use and we collect all cell phones before you enter the testing room.


 I know when I was there to take the test guys were talking before hand and many of them had failed it once already. That made me nervous as hell. I completed the test, looked over my answers, ate my lunch, looked over my answers once more and then turned it in and left by 12:30. After I left I stood out in the parking lot for an hour and a half almost smoking a pack of cigarettes because I was still shaking and still no one else had finished. That really made me nervous. When Nancy called me the next day I couldn't believe it. Are they still testing on the 2008 code? That's the test I took. I went to trade school and worked in the field for 14 years before deciding to take the test. I took it in order to go into business for myself.


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## don_resqcapt19 (Jul 18, 2010)

crazy electrician said:


> ... Are they still testing on the 2008 code? That's the test I took. I went to trade school and worked in the field for 14 years before deciding to take the test. I took it in order to go into business for myself.


We started testing to the 2011 code in June, when the city adopted the 2011 code.


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## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

ilikepez said:


> _'
> 
> Two young girls killed and two more hospitalized. With an additional six people mildly injured. I saw this today and I'm shaking my head. I've never heard of so many people getting electrocuted by the same piece of equipment. Apparently they all got shocked by an irrigation system of some type.
> _


_

Not trying to down play this BUT two girls were electrocuted and the rest were shocked.

elec·tro·cut·edelec·tro·cut·ing



Definition of ELECTROCUTE

transitive verb
1: to execute (a criminal) by electricity
2: to kill by electric shock
— elec·tro·cu·tion noun_


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## RIVETER (Sep 26, 2009)

ilikepez said:


> _'On Monday, the 14-year-old girls were part of a crew of about 72 detasseling corn near Tampico when they were hit by an electrical shock from a field irrigation system, according to the Whiteside County Sheriff's Office.
> 
> The electrical shock was felt by a number of workers in the field. Hannah and Jade were taken to CGH Medical Center in Sterling, where they were pronounced dead. Another injured crew member was also taken to CGH, while a fourth was airlifted to OSF St. Anthony Medical Center in Rockford, according to the sheriff's office.
> 
> ...


I had read that and most probably, it will be a situation concerning the same idea of equipotential bonding as in swimming pools/ saunas.


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## ilikepez (Mar 24, 2011)

brian john said:


> Not trying to down play this BUT two girls were electrocuted and the rest were shocked.
> 
> elec·tro·cut·edelec·tro·cut·ing
> 
> ...


Feel free to change the title of the thread.


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## eric7379 (Jan 5, 2010)

ilikepez said:


> _'On Monday, the 14-year-old girls were part of a crew of about 72 detasseling corn near Tampico when they were hit by an electrical shock from a field irrigation system, according to the Whiteside County Sheriff's Office._
> 
> _The electrical shock was felt by a number of workers in the field. Hannah and Jade were taken to CGH Medical Center in Sterling, where they were pronounced dead. Another injured crew member was also taken to CGH, while a fourth was airlifted to OSF St. Anthony Medical Center in Rockford, according to the sheriff's office._
> 
> ...


Such a tragic loss. Makes me stop and think because my nephew either just started detasseling this week or is going to start next week.

When I was younger and didn't know any better, I detasseled corn for a few seasons. Hard work. I do remember on one occasion there were some people that supposedly felt a tingling sensation as though it was an electrical shock. Lucky for us, the person in charge had enough sense to move everybody away from the area (couple of old barns between 2 fields). 



crazy electrician said:


> The biggest problem we have here is that there are no regulations enforced when it comes to farm work. The farmers run the state and thats probably why there never will be a state license in IL. If everything had to be done by code when it came to agriculture, the prices would go up tremendously. Doesn't make it right but it's the facts. The only reason we have any license requirement at all is because of the IBEW pushing it. Trying to put the non union worker out of work.


If anything, the city of Chicago runs the state. There should be a North Illinois and South Illinois. Then Chicago can run the north and the farmers can run the south!

I totally agree with you about the farmers and doing everything half-a$$. About 8 years ago I visited my uncle's farm and when I was there he said he had a few electrical questions for me about one of his barns. No problem, I said. We start to walk out to the barn and I see that he has 12/2 romex strung out across the yard and it is heading toward the barn. It originated in the house. The barn was a good 200' away. He told me that was how he ran power to the barn. I told him I would not set foot in the barn until he does it right. He got pissed at me, words were exchanged, he told me to leave and never come back and I haven't been back since.


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

RIVETER said:


> I had read that and most probably, it will be a situation concerning the same idea of equipotential bonding as in swimming pools/ saunas.


That seems like a huge jump to judgment with no info to go on.


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## Jlarson (Jun 28, 2009)

crazy electrician said:


> You dont see many farmers messing with 480v or controls.


:laughing:

Very few farmers call professionals, they as a group are experts at making it work.


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## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

ilikepez said:


> Feel free to change the title of the thread.


No issue there. I opened the post and thought it was going to be about Massachusetts.

I just feel we as a group are better served when common terminology is utilized in discussing any topic.


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## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

crazy electrician said:


> What I hear is that the farmer had called an electrician the day before hand because it had been hit by lightning. The electrician wasn't able to get there that day. The following day was the accident.





BBQ said:


> Why would it?


After reading crazy electrician's post above nothing will change because if it was a lightning strike then it wont get blamed on Electrical work.

Of course OSHA will use the full six months to investigate like stated by them in the article.


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

HARRY304E said:


> After reading crazy electrician's post above nothing will change because if it was a lightning strike then it wont get blamed on Electrical work.
> 
> Of course OSHA will use the full six months to investigate like stated by them in the article.


But we have no idea what the causes was, it could have been a problem left by a fully qualified person or something damaged by animals.

We all seem to rush to judgement.

OSHA should take the time it needs, there is no rush. Rushing will not undue what has happened but it could lead to mistakes.


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## amptech (Sep 21, 2007)

Jlarson said:


> :laughing:
> 
> Very few farmers call professionals, they as a group are experts at making it work.


I've seen some scary stuff on farms. Had a do-it-myself farmer call me once. He decided he needed to call an electrician when he went out to feed one morning and saw his dairy cows standing on the carcasses of other cows to drink out of the water tank. He told me he had wired up the tank heater himself to save money. I said, "Really? What do you suppose it ended up costing you?"


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## freeagnt54 (Aug 6, 2008)

amptech said:


> I've seen some scary stuff on farms. Had a do-it-myself farmer call me once. He decided he needed to call an electrician when he went out to feed one morning and saw his dairy cows standing on the carcasses of other cows to drink out of the water tank. He told me he had wired up the tank heater himself to save money. I said, "Really? What do you suppose it ended up costing you?"


I agree, some of the worst stuff I've seen has been done by farmers. They only call electricians when they start blowing stuff up or animals are dying.


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