This article was posted 05/29/2008 and is most likely outdated.

Dog Killed by Stray Voltage from Pole
 

 

Topic - Stray Voltage
Subject - Dog Killed by Stray Voltage from Pole

May 29, 2008
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Dog killed by stray voltage from pole

 

Celia Sing was devastated by the tragic death of Sebastian (below). Image 1

Sebastian, a Siberian Husky, was just doing his business on a Queens light pole when a fatal jolt of electricity shot through him, leaving his terrified owner heartbroken.

"All I did was take him for a walk," said Celia Sing, 50. "I haven't slept since this whole thing happened. I'm a walking zombie. I close my eyes and I still see him shaking."

Sing took the 7-year-old pooch she rescued as a pup for a walk about 12:50 a.m. on Sunday near her Long Island City apartment, across the street from the animal shelter where she volunteers.

"He just dropped and started shaking uncontrollably," said Sing, a civilian employee of theNYPD for 14 years. "He died in front of me. Why did my boy die?"

Sebastian now sits in a freezer at the Humane Society as Sing wades through the red tape to get answers. Con Edison referred her to the Department of Transportation, but because of the holiday weekend, she has been unable to speak with anyone there.

Meanwhile, DOT employees replaced the light pole Monday.

"We're still trying to determine the cause of the stray voltage at the location," a DOT spokesmansaid. "Our engineers have made it safe. Safety is our top priority."

Her first concern was for other pet owners, butSing is now trying to raise the funds for an autopsy for her companion over the past 49 dog years. Image 2

"He was my baby," she said. "I don't have kids. He was my boy."

Last August, a Labrador retriever survived a shock from a wet Con Ed manhole in SoHo, which again drew attention to the problem of stray voltage throughout the city.

In 2004, Jodie Lane was killed by stray voltage while walking her dog in the East Village.

 Story written by Kerry Bruke and Ethan Rouen of the NY Local Daily News

 

 

 

 

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Comments
  • Incidences of animals and persons being shocked and also electrocuted is more widespread than most realize.

    THE FIRST PART. Light poles on the street are no different than those in a shopping center parking lot or on private property except that the ones on the streets have more animal and human contact while strolling, walking a dog or just leaning on the pole waiting on the bus. All lightpoles, fixtures, wiring, feeder circuits and other electrical systems are required by the NEC to be grounded and/or bonded to provide a low impedance ground path back to the source. This low impedance path is in most cases the equipment grounding conductor that should be run in the conduit or cable with the branch circuit or feeder to the equipment or pole in this case. It could be the conduit if metal and properly installed and bonded at termination points. This method unfortunately is used by some to save the cost of the copper equipment ground conductor. Although this is allowed by code, in my opinion it is not a long term reliable ground path since its integrity is dependant on the condition of every conduit joint, coupling and box termination in the run from the equipment back to the source. Additionally a supplemental grounding conductor and earth ground rod should be installed at every light pole to reduce the potential between the pole and the earth. The ground conductor connections to the pole should be made using compression connectors bolted to the pole with a bolt or welded stud. Th connection to the ground rod should be made by exothermic weld process. This is not required by the NEC, however if installed it would reduce the chances of a person or animal from receiving a fatal shock when they are come in contact with a light pole and the earth and becoming a parallel path that may have either leakage current or bleed current seeking or flowing to earth. The sources of the bleed current could be from nearby storm clouds. The leakage current would be present under the condition of having a defective lighting ballast and a compromised or non-existant equipment grounding path back to the source.

    THE SECOND PART Lighting and other use poles along streets corners & traffic areas are subject to ocasional damage from vehicles, vandals and thieves steeling the copper wires. This presents addition hazards at these locations since a dangerous condition may exist for some time before being discovered and even longer before being corrected or replaced. Add one more hazard element to the mix in as much as many times the workers that are performing the repair or replacement may not necessarly be a qualified electrician. It may be a street or road department employee with limited knowledge of the hazards created by improper grounding.

    THE SOLUTION The only solution is to increase the awareness of cities and counties street departments of the problem and the need for periodic comprehensive inspections and repair or up grade of the grounding associated with poles, manholes and other associated hazards in their areas of responsibility.

    Additionally and hopefully they would recognize the need to budget for this and provide qualified persons to perform the inspections and repairs.

    Larry LeSueur CPQ, CBCP

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