How did this happen, and what could have been done to prevent it.
- posted
17 years ago
How did this happen, and what could have been done to prevent it.
Lightning by proxy?
Don't go in for total immersion baptism?
Somehow the microphone or stand had become live.
That requires at least a double fault - no effective earth and live-to-earth fault (and no RCD - Residual Current Device - see
Earth faults may be more common on audio equipment as the incompetant randomly cut earth wires whilst attempting to cure earth-loops causing humming noises.
Immediate recourse to prayer is possibly not the best course of action in an emergency. Disconnecting the power and CPR is.
The life insurance co. will claim it was an act of God.
john2
higher standards in both wiring and amplifier safety. Of course this doesn't include old wiring or gear.
Trouble with churches is many totally unskilled amateurs in the congregation think they have to help out with this sort of thing, and cut corners as long as it works. Sort of.
The microphone casing is usually grounded to the amplifier chassis at some point. That is usually connected to earth - although not necessarily if the amp is double insulated.
So it could be any number of things - faulty safety earth and then a fault in the amp, or a fault in any equipment connected to it.
The message from "jon" contains these words:
Obeying the word of God, probably.
The message from " snipped-for-privacy@gglz.com" contains these words:
Get round the immediate problem by using a radio-mike, I s'pose.
Shame they didn't use a radio microphone.
Guy King typed
You beat me to it by 11 seconds, buggrit!
Or don't use a mike at all.
an RCD would trip preventing this type of thing.
The message from Helen Deborah Vecht contains these words:
Radio-rays, innit.
AIUI more commonly termed Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) in the US.
Quoting indirectly from National Electrical Code (US)
But maybe they forgot to specify baptismal fonts!!!
But then does the UK for that matter? Is a font considered Zone 0, the same as a bath or washbasin?
AIUI, it is considered a different type of special location than a bathroom, but restrictions are similar.
Christian.
Yes - shouldn't be needed in a proper church. With a proper minister.
If the Lord wanted the minister to be heard, he would have given the minister a louder voice.
On the other hand, induction loop might have to be provided to comply with the Disability Discrimination Act.
Owain
Lots of older equipment in the USA has its exposed metalwork "grounded" through the neutral, which is bonded to a ground rod at the main service inlet. But when someone is standing up to his thighs in a tank of water, he could get a generous share of the equipment's neutral return current.
There may also be an electric water heater involved. Even if it wasn't faulty, it very likely *would* have had its own protective ground conductor... making the situation even worse.
Definitely something must have been "not to code". The US National Electrical Code must cover such situations, as ours does, or else we'd be losing Baptist ministers at an unholy rate.
There is not enough information available to give a definite answer.
Scenario #1 microphone became energized while baptismal pool was earthed.
Scenario #2 baptismal pool became energized while microphone remained earthed.
Scenario #3 Another piece of electrically connected equipment was involved. (see Google for news reports & witness statements)
Scenario #4 He was not actually electrocuted and died of some other cause.
For the first three scenarios
Remove SPAMX from email address
To prevent it :-)
don't believe in gods, hence no christianity(or is it insanity?), hence no baptisms, hence no heaven - hence only Earth.
Keith G. Powell
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