Utility companies discuss the dangers of electricity following death of Lubbock teen – LubbockOnline.com

Local utility companies are addressing the dangers of electricity safety following the death of a Lubbock teen who was reportedly electrocuted while attempting to charge her phone while bathing in her fathers Lovington, New Mexico, home.

For Wes Reeves, spokesman for Xcel Energy, the death was a tragic reminder of how cautious people should be around electricity.

I think what happens is we get in a hurry, and we dont stop to think about things when were at home. We think about safety out on the road, and we think about safety at work, but at home were often very lax about it.

One of the dangers he spoke about was the use of extension cords.

At about 12:24 a.m. on July 9, police responded to a report of an unresponsive juvenile female in the 800 block of West Avenue H in Lovington.

Life-saving measures were provided at the scene, during hospital transport and at the hospital. However, the girl was pronounced dead at Nor-Lea Hospital a short while later.

Sharing her story

Soon, the family of 14-year-old Madison Coe reached out to the community in an effort to help save lives by sharing her story.

Spreading the message, Coes family gave police permission to release a photo of her last text message in which she wrote:

When you use (an) extension cord so you can plug your phone in while youre in the bath.

Above the message is a photo of a charger plugged into an extension cord resting on top of a towel.

Lovington police released a statement in which they reported Coe used a Samsung S6 Edge phone while taking a bath.

The phone was connected to its respective charger cord, which was connected to an extension cord plugged into a non-GFCI, non-grounded bathroom wall outlet.

While the child took precautions to keep the connection of the cords dry, the report states, it is believed she was not aware of a significant area of fraying to the extension cord.

According to the release, Coe came in contact with the frayed area while she was in the bath, but the phone was never immersed.

Cord safety

With extension cords being a part of our daily lives, Reeves said, it is important to check them regularly and toss them out if they are damaged.

In addition to checking for frayed and nicked cords, Reeves said, make sure the extension cord is not covered, overloaded and used as permanent wiring.He also warns any electrical device plugged into the wall should never be around water.

There is a lot of safety built into these cords and these chargers, he said. but anytime you have water anywhere near these devices, youre putting yourself at risk. So its best to stay away from charging phones or anything like that in the bathroom.

Lynn Simmons, spokeswoman for South Plains Electric Cooperative, said to remember is that electricity and water do not mix.

Whether you have wet hands and are plugging something in, Simmons said, or turning a light switch on, that is never a good idea. And definitely anything that is plugged into a wall should be kept away from sinks, tubs, swimming pools, any mud puddles, any source of water. Because if that device being plugged in comes in contact with that water it will create that circuit for that electricity, and then thats where the danger lies whether its just a shock or a fatality it can be anywhere in between there.

Reeves said a rule of thumb in his own household is to steer clear of using appliances in the bathroom.

With kids and all of these electrical devices, Simmons said, the parents just need to stop, take a moment, explain to kids about plugging and unplugging, and the idea of keeping devices away from water. Whether its got a good cord or a bad cord, that still couldve been a really bad situation even if the power cord had been good, if (Coe) wouldve dropped that phone into the tub with her. It couldve had the same bad outcome. Parents just need to remember to take time to educate their kids on that.

Electrocutions

In the case of Madison Coe, the cause of death was confirmed as electrocution, and according to officials with the Lovington Police Department, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission were assisting them with the investigation.

According to the agencys website, the most recent records have statistics on electrocutions from 2002 through 2009: About 88 consumer-product associated electrocutions involving individuals ages 1 through 19 years old.

In addition to those statistics, the SPEC website states each year there are about 300 electrocutions; 12,000 shock and burn injuries and 150,000 fires.

Those numbers are electricity-related cases that occured within homes, as another danger lies in overloading outlets.

Looking at extension cords and surge protectors as pieces of equipment, Simmons said, it is important to see if the cords capacity fits the job.

While it may be OK to plug a lamp into a smaller cord, Reeves said, it is not a good idea to plug heavier equipment into the cord, and overloading extension cords or surge protectors can cause the wiring to melt.

You want to be really careful with that, she said. A lot of people use surge protectors, and I think they think theyre safe because theyre called a surge protector, but you need to be very careful not plugging too much into one outlet. (If something should go wrong) hopefully your system will trip a breaker and prevent any kind of problems, but you can start fires, you can be injured by a shock or worse if youre not careful around outlets and plugging too many items into a single outlet.

Whats GFCI?

As stated in the news release, the outlet in the bathroom was a non-ground, non-GFCI wall outlet.

How do you know if an outlet has a GFCI?

According to the Xcel energy website, there should be a red and black test and reset button on the face of the outlet.

The website states GFCI, or ground fault circuit interrupter, automatically shuts off power to the outlet to protect from fires or users from shock. And they should be installed in outlets near water sources such as outdoor areas, garages, laundry room, kitchens and bathrooms.

If your home is in need of updated or additional outlets, Reeves said, contact a licensed electrician.

If possible, he said, if you need some sort of change in your home, have an electrician come in and put another outlet in your home where you need it.

For more information on electrical safety, visit: http://www.spec.coop or http://www.xcelenergy.com.

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Utility companies discuss the dangers of electricity following death of Lubbock teen - LubbockOnline.com