http://www.kvue.com/news/vess/stories/042709kvue_electrocution_concerns-cb.1185b8854.htmlI hope this link works. It tells a story about an apparent electrocution of a small girl in Austin Texas. The story portrays the hazard in peoples homes etc. The reporters get a neighbour to comment on electrical safety and I am concerned about a couple of points as well as the general tone of the report.
First the service conductors are implicated. They feed a 1 story house and are connected at 10 feet according to the report. Canadian Code for a new service located in a area accessible to pedestrians would require 11 1/2 feet (3.5 meters) The story stated current code would require 14 feet. Does the NEC require 14 foot clearance for this area? No driveway or access to cars. The wires are clearly out of reach regardless of code requirements but the story does not even broach how a small girl makes contact. Anyone from Austin can comment from a Qualified perspective? I hate to read these stories and I hate the reports even more since they are generally written to arouse emotion and sell air time.
