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  1. #1
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    Default Low overhead service drop to house kills young girl.

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    Jerry Peck
    Construction/Litigation/Code Consultant - Retired
    www.AskCodeMan.com

  2. #2
    A.D. Miller's Avatar
    A.D. Miller Guest

    Default Re: Low overhead service drop to house kills young girl.

    Quote Originally Posted by Jerry Peck View Post
    Low overhead service drop to house kills young girl.

    WATCH: Neighbors concerned about safety after child's apparent electrocution | News for Austin, Texas | KVUE.com | KVUE News Team

    "The power lines police believe that killed Cecilia hang just a few feet above the 6 foot fence where Bonilla found her. "
    JP: A tragic incident to be sure, but specious information. About what I would expect, considering it comes from Austin. Since when did the NEC require 14' clearance above the ground? And, where is the requirement stated for any clearances above wooden fences?


  3. #3
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    Mar 2007
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    Default Re: Low overhead service drop to house kills young girl.

    Quote Originally Posted by A.D. Miller View Post
    JP: A tragic incident to be sure, but specious information. About what I would expect, considering it comes from Austin. Since when did the NEC require 14' clearance above the ground? And, where is the requirement stated for any clearances above wooden fences?

    It doesn't, but ...

    Back in the 1960s and early 1970s the minimum height was 10 feet over walkways and residential property and 12 feet over residential driveways, then (I'd have to look it up to see when) the minimum height was changed to 10 feet at the drip loop and over walkways, but the height over residential property went to 12 feet as "over residential property and driveways".

    They said 14 feet and probably meant 12 feet, but who knows?

    That extra 2 feet of height from 10 feet to 12 feet over that 6 foot high fence may have made the difference. A kid standing on a 6 foot fence could easily reach an overhead service drop 4 feet above the fence, in fact, that would make a good 'grab and climb over the fence' hand hold --- until you could not let go --- but at 6 feet high above the fence I suspect it would be considered 'out of reach' by most kids when going over a fence.

    As I was just saying to Charlie on another thread, "child safe" is not going to happen, "child resistant" maybe, but some kid somewhere is going to prove that "resistant" wrong, and if someone had called that "safe" instead of "resistant" ... I can see the lawsuit heading their way ...

    Jerry Peck
    Construction/Litigation/Code Consultant - Retired
    www.AskCodeMan.com

  4. #4
    A.D. Miller's Avatar
    A.D. Miller Guest

    Default Re: Low overhead service drop to house kills young girl.

    but some kid somewhere is going to prove that "resistant" wrong, and if someone had called that "safe" instead of "resistant" ... I can see the lawsuit heading their way ...
    JP: Sooner than later.


  5. #5
    Ted Menelly's Avatar
    Ted Menelly Guest

    Default Re: Low overhead service drop to house kills young girl.

    I don't see a law suit coming out of this. Tragic for the family for sure. Hate to hear about kids getting hurt. Who but one in a 10 million or so kids (if that, maybe 10 times that or 20 times that for that matter) are going to stand on the top of a 6 foot high fence and grab a hold of electric wires 4 feet or more over that fence.

    Tragic accident is all. Poor family.

    Most trees are not cut back far enough even when they are cut back away from limbs to keep a kid from grabbing them if they were to climb a tree where the lines are near.


  6. #6
    John Steinke's Avatar
    John Steinke Guest

    Default Re: Low overhead service drop to house kills young girl.

    I certainly hope nobody attempts to reach any conclusions based on that shoddy, incompetent bit of 'reporting.' It was nothing but sheer emotional appeal, and showd a terminal case of 'we must blame SOMEONE - preferably a big, anonymous outfit with deep pockets!"


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