If you ever decide to take a gander at the good ol’ Darwin Awards online… you can find this here article about a shipmate on a genuine USS Birdfarm! Amongst many others it’s got a few good reads!! It kind of reminds me of those Friday Funnies the Safety Officer used to put out!!!
All personnel stationed on an aircraft carrier are given safety lectures and demonstrations. In 1990, a First Class Petty Officer assigned to the mess deck was briefing new junior personnel on electrical safety. He showed them how to fill out a warning tag on circuits undergoing maintenance, and informed them that they were forbidden to work on the circuit until a second person had double-checked the tag and circuit. In a prime demonstration of why the rules were in place, he proceeded to open and grab a circuit that he supposed was de-energized, killing himself in front of 20 thunderstruck students. The poor chap was immediately deep fried, and declared a Darwin Award at the scene.
Well I suppose that First Class Petty Officer was a real live wire! You would’ve figured he had everything going for him… certainly had a bright future and an early retirement wouldn’t you say?!?
I shocked myself pretty damned good stick’n my dick skinners in the live 440V Stable Element once! My Chief said…
“You Know Shipmate… some kids were dropped on their heads as a baby, but you, you were thrown in the air, smacked a ceiling fan, and tossed out the fuck’n window!”
But when you’re walking around with your battery half charged giving live training to the troops like this fella… well it tends to lower your IQ and kills half your personality! I’d say that Squid was turned into ‘Fried Calamari’… did I go too far with that one?!?
never hurt me to get a RECHARGE after all we all know sailors and sea water x electricity = ZAP
ReplyDeleteWell he never did it again.
DeleteWonder if he did the "60 Hertz Shuffle" while was "a'grippin' that live war"?
ReplyDeleteWESTPAC70 USS McKean DD-784 had an E-4 Electrician try to fry himself down in SONAR...He was choppered off the ship to Saigon...never heard whether He lived or not.....
ReplyDeleteHoly shit! I heard about that from the captain of my first ship (he served aboard the McKean at that time as a JO). He didn't know if the guy lived or not either; but he was a damn good story-teller, that skipper. He told the Safety Officer about that early on, and the word went round after that...
DeleteI took the word of one of my shipmates that the power was secured to the power panel when I started working in it. Then the ship rolled, the door closed on me, and I experienced all the flavors, 60Hz, 400Hz, DC, 120v, 440v, 3 phase... The door opened on the next roll and I fell out. My skin had a couple dozen burn dots. I think I am alive because both power and returns were fused in the door, so each power only traveled 2 inches across my skin to its return and out again.
ReplyDeletePhil, Thank God you are alive!!! I am thankful too. I took 1040VAC 15Hz by my own dumb fault. I basically mixed up 2 panels and didnt check it dead again, after being away from it. I was painting (glyptol) live buss bars with an all metal brush!!! Oh yeah! Lucky I am!!!
ReplyDelete