Third U.S. serviceman determined to have been electrocuted in the shower in Iraq.

[techs]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/200...ractors_electrocutions

A third U.S. service member has been determined to have been electrocuted in a shower in Iraq, and Navy criminal investigators are investigating, The Associated Press has learned.

Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class David A. Cedergren, 25, of South St. Paul, Minn., died Sept. 11, 2004, while showering. His family was told he died of natural causes.

Late last year, the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology changed the manner of Cedergren's death to "accidental," caused by electrocution and inflammation of the heart. The Naval Criminal Investigative Service has reopened an investigation into his death, Ed Buice, a NCIS spokesman, said Monday.

Cedergren's death is among 18 electrocution deaths ? 16 U.S. service members and two military contractors ? under review as part of a Department of Defense Inspector General inquiry. Improperly installed or maintained electrical devices have been blamed in some of the deaths, while accidental contact with power lines caused others.

The inquiry primarily involves electrical work done at a facility where a Green Beret, Staff Sgt. Ryan Maseth, 24, of Pittsburgh, was electrocuted while showering in January 2008.


Maseth's death was initially considered accidental, but is now classified by Army investigators as "negligent homicide" caused by Houston-based contractor KBR Inc. and two of its supervisors. An Army investigator said the contractor failed to ensure that "qualified electricians and plumbers" did the work. The case is under legal review



Seriously, 16 servicemen and 2 civilian contractors electrocuted to death?
That's a WTF to end all WTF's.

 

[Mark R]

A lot of corners get cut in 'temporary' accomodation - particularly, where people are in a hurry, or distracted or where they are not formally trained.

E.g. electrically heated showers are convenient, cheap and rapid to install. However, care is required during installation, otherwise they can pose a shock hazard. Electric shower

Similarly, protective devices which disconnect the power are also regularly bypassed in such temporary accomodation, because the the inconvenience of having to investigate the fault and reset or replace the protective device. Appliance fuse replaced by drill. Unfortunately, drill cannot be accomodated by the original plug cover

 

[Nyati13]

Originally posted by: Mark R
A lot of corners get cut in 'temporary' accomodation - particularly, where people are in a hurry, or distracted or where they are not formally trained.

A lot more corners get cut when the contracter is more concerned with profit margins, and less concerned with doing the job right. KBR has been involved in a lot of corner cutting, from serving spoiled food, to tainted water, the electrical showers, all to make a buck at the expense of the troops.

 

[BoomerD]

This is typical of the kind of work KBR has done since Brown & Root started business.

Being a "no-bid" contractor for housing and services doesn't give them much incentive to actually do things right...

 

[ViviTheMage]

Yeah, I heard about this in the local paper...the family is pretty upset about it...

 

[amdhunter]

This news sure comes as a shock to me.

 

[Mr Pickles]

Army issued hair dryers > Bath Tub

 

[Farang]

Originally posted by: amdhunter
This news sure comes as a shock to me.

boo

 

[AlienCraft]

Plausible deniability for the win in the quest for The Holy Profit Margin.

Amen


Obviously they weren't "true believers". 😕 :disgust:





















Every privatized Defense Contractor has the blood of innocents and our Servicemen and women who have died as a result of shoddy work on their hands.

"I'm proud to be an American" </Tubes>

 

[MikeyIs4Dcats]

electrocution is a common cause of death in the workplace.