Re: Electrical Wire Safety

[fred bucheit <fbucheit@HOTMAIL.COM>]

    I fear that John is correct in his assertion that warnings are not
heeded...BUT, I still think it is a responsibility that we must perform
because there most certainly are students who will benefit from this
warning. For those who ignore or forget it, it is then their problem and the
shcool is absolved of responsibility.
   I think it also make a HUGE difference how the warning is presented. The
old fashioned way of just saying, don't do this and don't do that, most
likely has an outcome suggested by John. If we bother to give the reasons
for the warning, the outcome may be more positive. It is context that is so
lacking in education and causes students to ignore or forget what we say.

Fred Bucheit  retired, but still teaching when the opportunity arises.


> It is surprising how many students express apprehension when working =
> with
> ordinary batteries.  Then there was the group in my class who inserte=
> d a
> clip lead into the two slots of a switchable outlet, and then switche=
> d it
> on.  I also picked up a paper clip which had obviously been fashioned=
>  for
> insertion into an outlet in the middle of my floor.  Students have ce=
> rtainly
> been told about the dangers of electricity and are aware that doing t=
> hings
> like putting paper clips into outlets can be dangerous, yet the messa=
> ge does
> not get through.
>
> So the 5 minute warning about not touching wires, or using metal obje=
> cts
> around wires is certainly a reasonable thing, but it is not that effe=
> ctive.
> Consider how many people have persisted in using electrical appliance=
> s in
> the bathroom around the bathtub and then electrocuted themselves.  Th=
> e
> warnings are legion against this, yet it continues to happen.  Puttin=
> g
> pennies into fuse boxes used to be popular, but now with breakers thi=
> s is
> impossible.  Instead they just pull the low rated breaker and install=
>  one
> with a higher current rating.
>
> Again, the problem is that just telling them it is dangerous does not=
>  give
> the message across very well.  One can not see the deterioration of t=
> he
> insulation on the wires in the wall from overheating, so it appears t=
> o be
> safe until the house burns down.
>
> This is a very similar problem to the one of getting students to unde=
> rstand
> Newton's third law.  The students have a paradigm which is at odds wi=
> th the
> standard scientific one, and it requires a lot of work to convince th=
> em to
> change the way they think.  Lectures do not work very well at changin=
> g
> paradigms.
>
> Incidentally the discussion of the electrical wiring in the US could =
> have
> been brought into better focus if it had been contrasted with countri=
> es
> which do not follow the standard codes of safety.  The grounded syste=
> m that
> we have in the US actually promotes better safety.  Apparently in Mex=
> ico
> they do not follow the same code.  It is possible that they theoretic=
> ally
> follow the same code, but in practice they don't.  The house that I w=
> as
> staying in was "modern" construction, but had a wiring problem.  I wa=
> s
> getting shocks from the handles of the shower in my room.  The owners=
>  called
> in an electrician.  He fixed it by just reversing the two wires comin=
> g into
> the house.  Apparently there was no fixed neutral/hot designation.  I=
>  was
> told at that time that the practice of having one side of the wiring
> attached to ground was not common in Mexico.  This was over 40 years =
> ago,
> but I doubt things have changed much since then.
>
> Then of course there are the workers who cut underground wires and at=
> tempt
> to fix them themselves ...
>
> John M. Clement
> Houston, TX

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