On a rainy evening, a worker was repairing a broken window in a second-storey retail shop. He stepped outside on a ledge to gain better access to the work while he was caulking the window. Nearby, an electrical sign advertising the business was illuminated. The worker accidentally touched a guy wire supporting the sign at the same time he touched a metal air conditioner just inside the window. He was killed by electrocution. Investigators found that a timer attached to the sign was incorrectly wired with a plug which lacked a ground conductor.

Every year many people die needlessly in mishaps involving electricity. Don’t give in to the temptation to make unauthorized electrical repairs or take shortcuts with grounding equipment.