The security guard and another child suffered injuries that weren’t life-threatening, the officials said. On the night of the electrocution, when the girl received the shock, a security guard tried to pull her off the rail, fire officials said at the time. The lights were used to illuminate parts of the pavilion and a nearby staircase, according to investigators’ description. The handrail was electrified because of the improper installation, and when the girl touched a second handrail nearby to swing between them, she was electrocuted, according to the early assessment and the two people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to talk freely about the continuing investigation.Ī mechanism known as an LED driver - designed to cut 120 volts to 12 volts for the lighting on the underside of the handrail - failed, according to the preliminary review. Two people familiar with the investigation said that on the night the child was electrocuted, she and her brother were swinging on a loose handrail at the Potomac Plaza, an outdoor patio area with a large fountain on the west side of the property. The findings are part of an ongoing investigation by Prince George’s County officials into the June 26 incident that has left the child hospitalized for three months. The failures, investigators said, stem from “major” code violations that should not have passed the permitting and inspection process. That faulty installation, combined with other flaws in how wiring and the handrail were hooked up at the Maryland complex, enabled 120 volts of electricity to be jolted into the girl - 10 times the amount that should have been powering the handrail lighting, according to the early findings. Investigators looking into the electrocution of a 6-year-old girl who was critically injured at MGM National Harbor say a device that controls the flow of electricity to lights on a handrail she touched was improperly installed, according to a preliminary assessment obtained by The Washington Post. The original article can be found here įaulty wiring cited in early investigation of 6-year-old’s electrocution at MGM National Harbor Here is an article edited of extraneous information for brevity with important info in bold that details what can happen when the perfect storm of improper installation, corner cutting and unsafe products all collide and the tragedy that can result. The other hazard risk of low voltage lighting systems is a defect occurring where 120 volts is allowed to cross over to wiring and equipment and circuits that were designed for 12 volts. Loose connections generate excess heat that can burn and cause fires Short circuits can occur when exposed electrical wires touch and short circuits not shut down by proper fusing or circuit breakers will produce extreme heat and can result in melted wires, burns and fires. However it is not the voltage that can sometimes cause damage to property and humans it is high amperage caused by short circuits. Albeit a cut or break in skin coming into direct contact with 12 volts of power is not a pleasant feeling but it probably won’t cause any serious harm or death. The voltage is safe and in most all cases will not cause damage or harm to humans or animals when they come in direct contact with it. 12 volt lighting operates on 1/10th the amount of electricity then 120 volt lighting does. Locklin used to say, and this is a direct quote, “It is much easier to burn a house down with 12 volts of power than it is to burn a house down with 120 volts”. This plastic high wattage LED (Not a Gambino product) melted when placed in an enclosed landscape fixture due to it being unable to disapate the heat Amperage is ten times higher with low voltage power than high voltage power with the same wattage draw. A simple definition of Amperage is the strength of an electric current. 300 watts divided by 120 volts is 2.5 amps. 300 watts divided by 12 volts is 25 amps. Amperage is measured by dividing Watts by Volts = Amps. Therefore, if the voltage is increased, the current will increase provided the resistance of the circuit does not change. Ohm’s law states that the electrical current flowing in a circuit is proportional to the voltage and inversely proportional to the resistance. My intent is not to get technical with this article but some basic information is needed. That being said over this 30 year career I have seen some absolutely scary and unsafe installs in the field done by part timers, do it yourselfers and even licensed electricians. Cable with black tape is not a proper repair. Cables direct buried in the earth without protection from rigid electrical conduit is a hazard waiting to happen.
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