brother

What do you think?? I know there were some comments on a person being 'too old' to work in the trade safely. What age do you consider 'too old' to do electrical work??

This poor guy was electricuted.
http://blogs.pe.com/news/digest/2011...ed-in-acc.html

Gaffer15

[quote=brother;395917]What do you think?? I know there were some comments on a person being 'too old' to work in the trade safely. What age do you consider 'too old' to do electrical work??
quote]

I dunno. The master that signed for my apprentice card in Washington DC was in his 70's.. I saw his card number when he filled out the app and it was 2 digits.
Any time I got stuck I'd ask him and he would come over and make me show him what I tested and how, then he'd stare at the box or whatever and after about a minute he'd say try this and walk away. And he'd be right.

Us older guys will be a bigger problem as the SS retirement age keeps creeping further from 65 towards who knows? My son will not be able to retire until he is close to 70.
This has major implications for health insurance, hiring and firing policies and how business owners run their businesses. If history is any judge we will wait 30 or 40 years to address the problem.

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Frank Mc

I dont think age makes any difference ..young sparkies also get electrocuted ... Working alone on a live board would be more of a concern to me.....

Frank

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Big John

Just proof that there's never any room for complacency. The guy had probably been doing this for 40 years, and in the end, it still got him when he let his guard down.

I think it's a shame so many of the boomers are retiring from the trade: Every old electrician I've ever worked around has taught me something valuable. Our division head is pushing seventy, worked in just about every electrical environment known to man. I have yet to find a problem this guy hasn't seen and fixed, it's really pretty humbling to talk to the guy just because he is so damn knowledgeable.

-John

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backstay

Last place I worked at we had 3 electricians retire on the same day. Something like 135 years of experience, gone.

cthermond

I don't think that he was to old to be working. If he enjoyed his work and was still able to do it then why not. The older electricians have a lot to offer in experience. I appreciate some of the older electricians, especially the ones who help you with their knowledge and experience. Any one of us can easily get eletrocuted at any givien time. How many times have we had a near miss. My sincere condolences go out his family.

220/221

No details. Can't speculate.

At 59, I am actually more safe than in my younger days.


All I really know is, I'm not one of those guys who wants to die at WORK!

wcord

[quote=Big John;395992]Just proof that there's never any room for complacency. The guy had probably been doing this for 40 years, and in the end, it still got him when he let his guard down.

I agree. After 40+ years, I find that I get complacent too. "Its only 120" .
Even got zapped on 347v last month, 2 minutes after telling my guys to make sure the power was off before THEY did any work.

Sometimes I wish I knew how to transfer the information rattling around in my brain. Now I know how one of my first JM felt. NOW I am the old guy lol

piperunner

Gee did anyone ever think what did he work as a electrician for well most likely a job that he knew well .
He did not take away from the young guys just starting up like one person said in the comments .

He just may have had to work to support his family just because your getting old and gray doesnt mean you dont need a pay check .

And what is the age for us today for any job the way i see it you cant stop today and us old folks need to work its call working to make ends meet .

SS if we get it or live that long you have to be 66 years old today to get the full amount 62 is a joke !

Lets look at the age of workers hurt on most jobs today ill bet its not 70 years or 56 years old ill bet its between 20 and 30 years so whos doing things wrong .

Humm age for electricians id say most common average age in our trade is between 30 to 57 years old that stay in the trade at least were i work .

Yes we see more folks working at 60 and 70 because we have to if you dont understand that you will 20 or 30 years from now hope you can make it .

Sorry i guess iam getting old ive seen lots of electricians come and go over the years but i dont like to see them go like this .

This is life .

nitro71

I think a lifetime of being complacent about safety can catch up to you when you get older and get a little slower up stairs. Good habits stay with you. I don't think there is any age limit to working. If you can get there and do the work you're young enough. It's not like the younger workers aren't getting high at lunch, showing up hung over and not getting enough sleep.

Jamuz

Any PPE???

Zog

Your 20's is by far the most common age for electruction to occur, I have a nice chart of that demographic at work somewhere.

There are many old electricians, and many bold electricians, but very few old bold electricians.

Rockyd

Agreed.I'm over 50 and was out running 6" PVC coated rigid a year ago. Maybe the thought of not losing any pipe at about $900 a stick might have been depending on experience (and me dumb enough to wrestle it in...)

Course I tend to shop for a little easier jobs now

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kiyo

Don't realy think age matters just the persons common scence and brains. At least he was doing somthing he great. If I ever get zapped and die i'd just want every one to know I was doing somthing I loved.

South Jersey Sparky

Electricians are similar to brain surgeons. Except electricians kill themselves.

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Gaffer15

The article said he was electocuted, but maybe that was a jump to conclusion because he was alone with energized equipment? Maybe he died of other causes and fell on energized parts or was laying on the floor and it was assumend he was electrocuted.

__________________
The three best ways to destroy a home's structural integrity are water, termites, and plumbers.

crosport

[quote=wcord;396021] Under what circumstances did you get shocked off 347? Many an electrician have died from 347 over the years.Where there's 347 there's 600.Even more deadly.

wcord

[quote=crosport;396312]By being stupid.
Live jb in the slab up about 6 ft above the T-bar. A combination of it being a bit dark and the installing electrician (20 yrs ago) skinned his wires too long to be covered by the splice cap. Reach up to check the wires and which conduits they were in, touched the box and bare conductor.
Good thing that we use fiberglass ladders! and the circuit made was just through my fingers but still hurt like h*ll.

Got all 3 phases of 600 as a first year(40 yr ago). I had just made the splices (split bolt) on a motor and was holding them in my hand, and the a*sshole plant manager turned on the motor starter. The concept of tag out wasnt being used back then. That was when I learned to tie wire off the controller AND remove the fuses.


Also learned "When in doubt, short it out" Even after the tic tracer and meter says no power, I still short the hots (and neutral) to ground.

BBQ

In my experience university maintenance departments do not have safety programs and expect work to be done live. It is like they have never heard of PPE at all.

Smoke

we had a guy working for us until last year that was well over 70.
after he was incarcerated for dwi 2 many times i think he retired himself.
he drove 2hrs to work and 2hrs back every day for over 30 years.
the cops caught onto his habit and i haven't seen him in almost a year.
ironically, he showed more skill in the last 10 years than in the first 20 combined.
my stand is, old people suck, live life for today and die happy...