Photography of safety
I was browsing through the pictures entries of photography-for-safety competition. If you know me, I’d normally point to some defects instead of acknowledging that the sky is blue and that the birds are singing…
I’m not sure why this even qualifies at all. What is the danger for turning off the light? Killing the lights might kill you? How likely is that? Please tell me what is the risk associated with the above activity.
In fact, I think opening the circuit (turning the light off) is much safer than closing it (turning the light on). If there was a short somewhere along the line awaiting for the switch, closing or completing the circuit would just cause that zap, too high of current flowing and that’s your chance of fire.
Whoever thinks there is a risk of fire by using cellphone at gas station is an idiot. Well, maybe not an idiot but very gullible. Oh, hey, everyone seems to be avoiding it, I’ll do that too.
There has never been a confirmed incident involving cellphone fire at gas station anywhere on earth. The cases of fire at gas stations were due to static electricity instead, not cell phones. Basic science. If you’re outside the car, stay outside. If you’re inside the car, please stay inside. The rubbing of your clothing with the seat’s fabric causes electrostatic charges to build up. There is a diminutive possibility that dislodged battery might cause a spark but I doubt that the energy level is high enough to ignite a fire.
Let me give you a scenario. Workers in coal mines have used wire runs connected to battery since ages. They short together the parallel cables that go in deep into the mines that complete the circuit and light up the lamp. Why hasn’t that caused explosion for almost 30 years? (until one day somebody decided to change the battery and that caused 400-odd people almost instantaneously combusted when the circuit was closed.)
Total Oil fell for the hoax.
Exxon at one time was gullible too.
Shell was circulating it in the E-mail.
The learning here is – before you forward any reminders to your families, friends, or colleagues – think about how true the claim is first. Reach out to your senses.
pb, 
Aliya and 3 others are discussing. 
Aliya 5:51 am on Friday, November 13, 09 Permalink |
I think the first photo the point is don’t switch on/off lights with wet hands. The hands look wet there. I’ve heard that warning for donkey’s years. I constantly had electric shocks when I was little for just switching on/off the electric switch or pulling out a plug. Dunno why..maybe increased ionic charge in my body hehehe
I always follow warnings at the petrol station – all because of Hollywood explosions! When petrol overflows the nozzle pun i dah panic. haha
pb 6:44 am on Friday, November 13, 09 Permalink |
I concur with Aliya here. Wet hands, warning since primaryschool lagi (not primaryschool in malaysia apparently). I think its one of the safety message that they have successfully drilled into me
As for petrol station…one of CSI (Las Vegas) episode had this about some phone causing the person who was stealing petrol via siphon (which he partially sedut before emptying out some poor sods tank) to combust internally. And some people do take shows like CSI to explain realworld issues *sigh* (just like how some gov agency quoted WIKI!!! some people…tsk tsk tsk).
zzeed 10:22 am on Saturday, November 14, 09 Permalink |
aliya:
hm, btul gak tu. from first glance tak nampak basah. looks like sweat. but sweat is an even better conductor (salty – ionic). actually the warning of wet hands/fingers applies to all electrical appliances. not just light switch. there is a risk still, but low since the switches that contact our skins are insulator material. they don’t conduct electricity if properly installed.
Wanna know why? Most likely masa kecik skin resistance is low. So at a certain voltage, you’d feel the higher current vs today. Or did you have wool carpet or something in your room that builds up electrostatic charges, hehe. Everything there’s grounding chance, you’d feel the shocks.
Follow signs just to get you out of trouble from getting the flight attendants to stop you from filling up gas xpe lah. But seriously, the sign says turn off all electronics devices. Nobody’s doing that and it’s hard to enforce (would pump attendants check pockets & pouches?)
pb:
I know… I know, wet hands. It’s good the safety message drilled in – the risk is low but if you avoid that altogether, the risk is zero. even better!
People in general are gullible kut. And everyone wants to appear more intelligent than he or she actually is. Hehe! Seriously, I don’t take CSI shows seriously pun. Too idealistic. If they can show me where did they get the grant or funding to do the DNA tests, I’ll reconsider watching them episodes carefully.
Aliya 12:40 pm on Saturday, November 14, 09 Permalink |
oooo thanks for the explanation. always wondered why i always got electric shocks when I was younger but not now.
zzeed 12:57 pm on Saturday, November 14, 09 Permalink |
Aliya:
Let me ask you – as we age, does skin grow thicker? or still about the same? or thinner as they get streched?
Liz 8:35 am on Friday, November 13, 09 Permalink |
agree with aliya. yg first tu, kan tgn dia basah. mmg x boleh switch off the light dgn tgn yg basah. takut kena renjatan elektrik. aku penah kena mild shock.
zzeed 10:40 am on Saturday, November 14, 09 Permalink |
liza:
True2, should’ve been avoided altogether. But all the appliances have safety features built in. Consider other activities:
1) Gosok baju – spray dgn air… how safe is this? If the cord seems to have holes, no longer sealing the wiring in, stop ironing! Beli baru. The last thing you want is spray on the favorite piece of cloth, iron out with the holey cord that moves with it, and flash!
2) Electric kettle – btul je air tu betul2 isolated from the electrical energy? Dah fill up kettle, should we wipe the electrical connection port?
3) Hair dryer – dah rambut basah2, tangan basah2, how safe is it to even hold the dryer that’s plugged to 220V supply on the wall?
etc. From statistics – cooking is the number one cause of house fires. Let me find some statistics about injuries / fire by light switch vs others…
intan saleh 10:44 am on Friday, November 13, 09 Permalink |
ive had a few mild electric shock from switching off suis mesin basuh i.e. powerpoint with wet fingers but never when switching off light.
once i used my mobile while waiting for wahyu to fill the tank, ada pakcik of opposite pump sibuk suruh end call. ngeh!
Liz 2:45 pm on Friday, November 13, 09 Permalink |
oh, intan. say pernah. siap ada percikan api di sebalik suis lagi.. eh, bkn.. i mean nampak mcm ada lightning. gitu la.
mcm mane pulak dgn org yg tgh isi minyak tp x matikan enjin. ada bahaya x?
aliya 5:01 pm on Friday, November 13, 09 Permalink |
ooo my dad always leaves the engine running.. i always sit in the car with imagination running wild. Apparently it’s not dangerous but I dunno.. petrol = flammable. but honestly how many times have petrol stations exploded…except in the movies?
zzeed 11:03 am on Saturday, November 14, 09 Permalink |
msh:
notice where you actually touch – those surfaces are slightly conductive kut. never when switching off lights, right? if the switches are installed properly, they’re not gonna give you shocks. i haven’t experienced any.
nih, the real outcome after many wet fingers. actual switches kat bilik ashbi. no case of shocks after 20 years (1989 – 2009).
pakcik keje as pump attendant ke another customer? bongek.
liza:
rasanya the switch itself is problematic – properly mounted? i’ve never received any shock or sparks whatsoever from light switches. yg bunyi tu mmg ada – definitely ada leakage of current. approximately 45% of incidents are from design & 15 percent is from installation (sort of human errors gak, but not direct cause and could’ve been avoided by systematic adoption of practices, checklist, testing etc). 60% in total. way above the bare human error of about 10% when operating.
engine running while filling up? what’s the risk? good question!
aliya:
i like that question – how many times have petrol pumps exploded except in the movies? lol…
your dad seems very practical. petrol is consumed internally by the engine’s combustion, so there’s already fire inside there. Only and only if there is something totally, totally wrong with the car – like the fuel channel somehow leaks to the engine from the outside vs the internals/tank – then leaving the engine running is an issue. biasanya modified car runs a higher risk. your dad knows the standard design of a car and thus he will not be clumsy in filling up, i.e. overspill or anything.
but if there was any leak at the station (the station owner’s responsibility!) outside the car (from external) and the spark plugs mounting on the engines loose or not properly connected – then this is a real risk. but there’s no difference then when you start the engine as soon as filling up completed!
kakngah 11:48 am on Friday, November 13, 09 Permalink |
re: the cellphone at gas station, i recall mythbusters show tried to experiment with it, but i can’t remember the conclusion.
zzeed 10:41 am on Saturday, November 14, 09 Permalink |
kakngah:
perhaps it’s available on the website. Well, the same team tried to disprove hoax on man landing on the moon. that one busted. Try asking russians and chinese to conduct mythbusting, hehe.
pb 3:17 am on Monday, November 16, 09 Permalink |
A lot of info on the comments alone.
Jazakallahukhair.
zzeed 5:52 pm on Monday, November 16, 09 Permalink |
I try to be as close as possible to real scenario. Analyzing risk requires approximation & estimation, besides several facts here and there that you already know. To some, it may sound & look like a fabrication.
With discretion, I still encourage everyone to ask around and do some sort of verification. Wouldn’t hurt to find out more.