Teen electrocuted while working on unplugged computer

JMH · Oct 10, 2012

Those who don't know about electronics assume that if you unplug a device, it becomes safe.

Perhaps that's what a teenager from Shawnee, Kan., might have thought when he reportedly worked on his family computer.

It was unplugged, yet the teen died in what seemed inexplicable circumstances.

According to KCTV-5, an autopsy revealed electrical burns on the unnamed teen's body, which experts conclude happened after he gained access to the computer's power supply.

He was reportedly stripping the computer down for parts.

Clearly, not all the details surrounding this case have been revealed. It is unclear how long the computer might have been turned off.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17852_3-57528853-71/teen-electrocuted-while-working-on-unplugged-computer/

Laxer · Oct 10, 2012

I cannot say I believe this one...

Perhaps if the teen had a electronic heart or something similar...

I do not believe a Power Supply capacitors could store enough of a charge to be fatal.... Especially not a $20 one... (perhaps the 1kw+ ones could do it?)

Granted there is still a charge in the capacitors after it is unplugged it should be nowhere near enough to be dangerous unless it came across something sensitive inside your body such as a aid to your heart...

Regardless, the first thing you learn in Electronics is not to touch the leads of large capacitors... The warnings are there for a reason...

Perhaps Bruce(GZ) or someone with more knowledge of PSUs can provide a better answer...

My PSU can put out well over the amount of amps to kill you but I doubt that much is stored directly in capacitors...

GZ · Oct 10, 2012

Electrical theory and mathematics gives me a headache!!!!

But I am pretty sure it only takes somewhere around 10milliamps to kill a person if it crosses the heart.

Will · Oct 10, 2012

You can kill yourself with a 9v battery if you try hard enough. I hadn't heard the story before, but I can easily believe opening up a PSU is dangerous.

GZ · Oct 10, 2012

Those capacitors can store quite a bit of energy... This can be witnessed by disconnecting your power cord and pressing the power button on your computer... Your computer will start up momentarily... A perfect capacitor will, in theory, hold it's charge indefinitely... But in the real world, it will slowly dissipate... You should ALWAYS discharge capacitors before working with them.

Wrench97 · Oct 10, 2012

Yea I don't buy it either, been nailed too may times by plug wires(old school find the miss by pulling a plug wire off), TV's worked in a TV shop as a kid many years ago the tech thought it funny to run a strip of solder down the bench, hook one end up to the high voltage wire in the picture tube and put a pair of pliers on the other end then say "Hey hand me those pliers".........then there was the magneto in shop class, hook the plug wire to the steel bench wait patiently for 4 or 5 guys to sit on the bench and give the mag a spin. Oh and when unhooking a 3 phase compressor don't take somebody's word that they shut off the correct circuit breaker always check first...............................that one stung.

GZ · Oct 10, 2012

The funny thing about electricity... It always takes the path of least-resistance... If the circuit is closed between your thumb and forefinger, it will take the quickest, least restrictive route...

If you connect the circuit from one hand to the other, on the other hand... Bad things can happen.

All it takes is an interruption of your heart to throw it into v-fib.

Wrench97 · Oct 10, 2012

So a second hit is called de-fib :grin1:

GZ · Oct 10, 2012

Wrench97 said:
So a second hit is called de-fib :grin1:

:hysterical:

jcgriff2 · Oct 12, 2012

Wrench97 said:
Yea I don't buy it either, been nailed too may times by plug wires(old school find the miss by pulling a plug wire off), TV's worked in a TV shop as a kid many years ago the tech thought it funny to run a strip of solder down the bench, hook one end up to the high voltage wire in the picture tube and put a pair of pliers on the other end then say "Hey hand me those pliers".........then there was the magneto in shop class, hook the plug wire to the steel bench wait patiently for 4 or 5 guys to sit on the bench and give the mag a spin. Oh and when unhooking a 3 phase compressor don't take somebody's word that they shut off the correct circuit breaker always check first...............................that one stung.

Wow! What I missed out on going to Catholic School from K-12 and working at Carvel starting at age 9! :lol:

Anthony N · Oct 12, 2012

This one seems rare... But can happen, I've recycled about 9 CRTs and plenty more when I had my job at a electronics recycling facility.

We had certain "rules", We had a grounded bar with a rubberized handle and we'd have to intentionally short the board. OR we'd wear leather hide gloves and using a hammer that has a rubberized hammer we'd bust off what we wanted for the money and discard the rest as waste but it would still be recycled just without the valuable stuff.

In my shop, I don't use leather gloves but when I'm cutting the boards with a dremal I get micro sparks from the solder / leads but just mostly PCB dust. The stuff smells BAD!

Irregardless, in both situations I've NEVER been shocked from a discharging cap. So this story of this kid, which is sad he pasted away. Either the computer was not discharged or he discharged to the cap instead of the ground.

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Teen electrocuted while working on unplugged computer

JMH

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Laxer

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GZ

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Will

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GZ

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Anthony N

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Teen electrocuted while working on unplugged computer

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Co-Founder / AdminBSOD Instructor/ExpertMicrosoft MVP (Ret.)

Well-known member

Co-Founder
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Co-Founder / Admin
BSOD Instructor/Expert
Microsoft MVP (Ret.)