Hi, I'm Michael Porter from Detroit Edison, the company that brings you the electricity
you use every day.
Whether you're at school, at home, or enjoying the outdoors, we want to make sure you always
use electricity as safely as possible.
And it's easy when you learn a few basic rules.
Electricity is a powerful tool, and this video will help you learn to use it safely.
I thought I heard someone say that his heart stopped.
And according to witnesses, the victim was trying to get a bottle of wine that was stuck
in this tree.
He then grabbed the electrical wire as the tree limb broke.
The condition of the boy is still unknown.
I'm going to charge up and shock him.
I'm charging.
I'm going to shock now.
We have a call from a woman scientist.
Give me your key back.
Watch his airway.
Man, he really got fast.
I would have thought that climbing a tree would be so dangerous.
Okay, everybody stay back.
Stay back.
See how the intensity of light changes the faster or slower I crank the handle?
Now why do you think that happens?
Crystal?
The faster you crank the handle, the more current you make?
Good.
That's exactly right.
Now before class ends, I'd like to talk to you about something.
I'm sure all of you heard about yesterday's terrible accident involving a 10th grade boy
named Jimmy Hawkins.
He was burned when he accidentally touched an electrical wire while climbing a tree.
He's in the hospital, and he's very lucky to be alive.
Electricity can be very dangerous if you don't understand how it works.
Well, I guess we're going to have to talk about this on Monday.
And don't forget about your science project ideas.
Mr. Myers, I had an idea for my science project.
Mr. Myers, I know what I want to do for my science project.
One at a time, Bo.
I want to do mine on electricity and electrical safety.
That's my idea. I was going to do that.
I was at the accident.
So was I.
Sure.
Okay, okay, hold on, hold on.
Now since you had the same idea, I think it would be good if you worked on it together.
What, with her?
What's that supposed to mean?
What do you know about electricity?
I know some brains run on it, but maybe not yours.
All right, enough already. I've made up my mind.
Either you work on it together, or neither of you get to do it.
But Mr. Myers.
That's the deal. Take it or leave it.
Fine, I'll do it.
Fine, I'll do it.
Hi.
Hi.
Hey, Crystal. You know, we should interview someone about electrical safety for this project.
Um, okay. I'll go to the library and get some articles out of old newspapers.
Okay, see ya.
Bye.
That figures. That's the easy part.
I'll do the real work and find out who to interview for the project.
You know something?
I still can't believe Mr. Myers is making me work with Crystal.
I mean, she's smart and everything, but all we ever do is fight.
I know. But she gets good grades.
Hey, look at those guys. They must be here because of the accident.
Hey, isn't that Mr. Gibbons? The guy who came to our school a couple weeks ago?
Yeah, I think it is.
Excuse me, sir. Didn't you come to our school and talk about electricity?
Yeah, sure did. Hey, Charlie, I told you these kids remember me when I go to their schools.
Hey, Say, did you guys know that kid who got burned here yesterday?
Kind of. He was a couple years older than us.
Yeah. So, uh, how come he got burned? Was there a broken wire or something?
No, the wire wasn't broken. Looks like he touched the wire as he climbed out on the branch.
But what about all that black stuff? Doesn't it keep electricity in?
Oh, it's not that simple. The black coating on this wire is designed to protect it from weather and trees, not to protect you.
You should never, ever touch a wire, no matter what.
Then how come the birds can sit on the wire and not get zapped?
Because they're not grounded.
Grounded? Look, electricity likes the ground. In fact, it loves the ground.
It tries to get there every time by traveling through various types of material called conductors.
Conductors include metal, wood, and anything with water in it, you know, like us.
You know, our bodies are made up of about 70% water.
Electricity is also smart. It takes the shortest path to its destination.
So it'll only leave the wire if it finds a better route to the ground.
So since the birds aren't touching the ground, electricity figures it's easier to stay on the wire.
Of course, if a bird happens to touch the pole while standing on the wire...
Then how come the electricity doesn't travel down the pole and zap people on the street?
That's a good question. You see, some material like glass or plastic don't conduct electricity.
These materials are called insulators. Here, let me show you.
To keep electricity in the wire, electrical poles are separated from the wire using ceramic glass or plastic insulators.
Uh, we've seen other kids...
Other kids, other kids.
Throw rocks at those and try to break them.
That can be very dangerous.
Okay.
Alright, thanks guys.
Here are those newspapers you were looking for.
Keep them on microfiche to save space.
Thank you.
If you need any help, just call me. I'll be right over here.
Okay.
Hmm. My mom said there was an accident five years ago.
She thought it happened in August.
No.
No.
Here it is.
An innocent game claims the life of a ten-year-old girl.
An innocent game of hide and seek was deadly yesterday when a ten-year-old girl was electrocuted.
Amanda Rose apparently tried to hide in a utility transformer during a game of hide and seek.
According to a utility spokesperson, the transformer had been vandalized and the lock broken.
When the child entered the transformer, she apparently touched a high-voltage line carrying more than 25,000 volts of electricity.
She was killed instantly.
Hey, over here!
Give it to the girls!
Hey, this is it!
There you go!
Those two guys were a really big help. You know, this is really going to help me with my science project.
You know, next week, Crystal and I, we're going to interview this guy who was actually involved in an electrical accident.
Wow, cool.
Hey, isn't that Mary and Mike?
Yeah, I think so.
Come on, let's go.
Can't get it now!
Now look what you've done! How am I going to get my glove back?
I guess you'll just have to climb over the fence.
No way! You threw it over, you go get it.
You're just afraid, that's all. You're just chicken.
I am not.
Okay, then. I dare you to get it.
Hey, guys, what's going on?
Jackface threw my baseball over the fence.
Yeah, and Mike's a chicken. Climb over and get it.
Well, I don't blame him. Look at all the signs. It's dangerous in there.
Oh, come on. Not you too.
They put those signs just to scare us.
I mean, my brother, he goes over there all the time and nothing ever happens to him.
Besides, you've got to get that glove anyway.
I know how to get it. I'll go get those guys from the electric company. They don't know what to do.
Good idea.
I'll do anything till I get back.
Man, this is taking too long. I'll go get the stupid thing.
Mary, come on. Wait.
Let me back. Mary.
They'll be back soon.
Mary, they're here. Mary, they're here.
Mary, come on.
Mary, don't be stupid. Come on, Mary.
Hey! You! Get down from there.
Can't you read the signs? What are you trying to do? Get yourself killed?
I was just trying to get my glove.
Well, get your glove. Just hold on.
We use special safety gear to protect ourselves when we go into a substation.
He gave me a break. He doesn't really wear all that stuff, does he?
Is it really that dangerous or he's just trying to scare us, right?
All right, kids. I'll be right back with your glove.
It's that dangerous, all right.
This stuff he has on is what we use when we work around electricity.
We've got thick, specially tested rubber gloves, and we wear leather gloves over the rubber ones.
We've also got a special insulated stick for retrieving things like baseball gloves.
Yeah, but if he knows what he's doing, why does he have to wear all that?
That's just it. He knows what he's doing, so he knows how dangerous electricity can be.
We use this equipment to protect ourselves.
Look, all it takes in there is one mistake, and we're history.
So if you guys value your lives, none of you will think about climbing over that fence.
Hey, you're all set. But this is a good lesson to remember.
We put these signs up for a reason.
Gee, guys, I guess we really weren't thinking.
But how about those electrical towers over there? I see kids playing over there all the time.
Yeah, well, they shouldn't.
Those are high-voltage wires that carry electricity from our generators to this neighborhood.
You should never climb on them. And just as important, never fly any kites near those wires.
How come?
Well, remember what I told you about the birds?
Sure, they're not grounded, but...
Oh, I get it. If the kite's touching the wire and you're holding the string,
then the electricity will use the string as a conductor and travel through me to the ground.
That's right. Okay, guys, don't forget what we talked about.
All right, we won't.
Hey, Mike, isn't there a ball field over by your house?
Let's go play there. Yeah, come on.
Hi, Mrs. Powers. How are you doing?
Hey, how's my favorite babysitter?
Come on, Mrs. Powers. I'm your only babysitter.
Yeah, but you're still my favorite.
So what's this I hear about, a science project?
Well, I have to do a presentation on electrical safety with this kid in my class.
But my mom said that you've seen a lot of electrical accidents.
Yeah, on this job I've seen a few.
Come on, let's sit down for a sec.
So what do you want to know?
Well, what happens when somebody gets shocked?
Well, it's pretty mean.
First of all, you can get a real nasty burn, but that's only the beginning.
Electrical shock causes your muscles to contract, making it harder for you to breathe.
It can cause muscles like your heart to stop working, and you know what happens then.
Sure, you die.
You know, Crystal, most of the electrical accidents I've seen are caused by carelessness.
I remember one girl who used a fork to freeze some toast.
Only problem was she forgot to take the plug out first,
and the electricity traveled through the fork as she became the conductor.
Another girl was drying her hair at the bathroom sink,
and the hairdryer for her was frayed,
and when it hit the water in the sink, the electricity was looking for the shortest path to the ground, and she was it.
Especially a lot of houses that caught on fire because people were plugging too many cords into an outlet.
All those cords were on more power than the outlet is designed to handle,
so it gets hot and eventually bursts into flames.
Now, let me ask you something.
If you saw an electrical cord on fire, what would you do?
Well, I'd call the fire department, get some water, and pour it on the fire.
Ouch! Then I'd be looking for a new favorite babysitter.
Why's that?
Water is a great conductor.
As soon as it hits the cords, zap!
Listen, don't ever use water on an electrical fire.
Water and electricity don't mix.
Crazy fools.
One of these days they're going to wrap themselves around one of those utility poles.
Let me ask you something, Mrs. Powers.
If a car crashed into a utility pole and a live wire fell on the car,
would the car's tire protect you from being electrocuted?
Only a little.
The wire would electrify the car and everything in it, including you,
so as soon as you touch the ground.
Wow. So what do you do, just sit there?
Yeah, actually that's the best thing to do.
As long as you stay in the car, you don't give the electricity a path to the ground.
But what if the car's on fire and you have to get out?
In that case, you jump clear and land with both feet together.
Then you can roll or shuffle away from the wire,
because if one foot lands closer to the downed wire,
it will be in a higher voltage zone than your other foot.
You'll actually become a conductor for the electricity.
And while we're talking about downed wires, don't ever touch them.
Call for help.
Remember, you can't tell whether a wire is live or not, so don't even try.
Let a professional handle it.
Remember, Crystal, electricity has one goal,
and that's to find the easiest path to the ground.
So, honey, don't let it be through you.
So if I want to record, which button do I press?
The red one.
Shouldn't a light go on in the viewfinder or something?
Here.
Give me that.
All you do is press the red button and aim it at your subject.
I don't believe it.
Boy, your dad sure likes to stay busy.
Dad! No!
What's the matter, honey?
What are you doing?
I've got lots of work to do.
I've got to mow the lawn, get the hedges clipped,
and I don't want to miss the big game.
So if you don't mind, could I have that cord back?
Dad, the grass, everything is soaking wet.
If you plug this cord into that line, you're going to get hurt.
Didn't you have an electrician install an outside outlet?
That's a good point, Crystal.
That outlet he installed was a GFCI,
a ground fault circuit interpreter.
Interrupter.
Which probably would have shut off before I got hurt.
Now, can I have this cord back?
Thank you.
Oh, you're probably right.
I should wait and do this later, huh?
Hey, we better get going or we're going to be late for the interview.
You two still need a ride? Yeah.
Okay, give me one second to get all this stuff back in the garage
along with that ladder,
and your old dad will give you a ride.
I'll meet you at the car.
Hey, Crystal, you got the list of questions?
Yeah, I'm all set.
Dad, watch out for that wire!
We'll be interviewing you for our science project.
Okay, we're all set.
Okay.
Tell us a little about what happened that led to your accident.
On a rainy, misty day in the spring,
it was probably May or June,
I was playing in the foundations.
They were just mud foundations.
We were just little six-year-old kids rolling around in the mud.
On the way home, we had to cross the railroad tracks.
These foundations were on the other side of the railroad tracks
from my parents' house.
It was one of those things where our parents always said,
Never go in there. Do not go and play there.
And, of course, we were just little kids going and doing what we wanted to do,
being curious little boys.
But it was a lot of fun down there. There were lots of neat things.
On the way home, I decided to climb over the boxcar
instead of crawl under it.
In Pennsylvania, they have the overhead wires that give power to the train.
And when I climbed over it,
since I was wet and it was rainy and misty,
the electricity arcing at me.
I didn't actually touch the wire, but I got close enough
so that the power inside the wires could be transferred to me
and then go to the ground.
I lost my right arm at the shoulder.
I don't have any shoulder or anything there.
It's cut off directly at the shoulder.
My leg, both of my legs are cut off right here,
about six inches below the knee.
Same with the left leg.
You always think it's not going to happen to you.
That's what I believed. But look what happened to me.
And that's why it's important to understand electricity.
If you use it properly and you remember some simple rules of safety,
then electricity will never become a problem.
Don't forget, electricity looks for the shortest path to the ground,
and that's the shocking truth.
Great job, you two. I think you taught some important points.
Thanks, Mr. Myers. It was really interesting.
And Crystal was a great partner.
Thanks, both. So were you.
See, I told you guys it would work out, and you did fantastic.
Thanks. Oh, and Mr. Myers?
Yes?
Did you know that the power cord on your slide projector is frayed?
And we've noticed that you have a tendency to flip on lights
with wet hands after washing up at the experiment sink.
We've also noticed a lot of other things you and the other teachers do.
I guess you two really did learn a few things.
Okay, we'll talk about it tomorrow.
Nice job, partner.
Thanks, partner.
Thank you.
Now that you've learned about being safe around electricity,
I'd like to ask for your help.
Will you tell your family and friends about what you learned today?
To always look up?
To stay away from power lines?
And how to play it safe around electricity?
Thanks.
With your help, everyone can learn to use electricity safely.