Darwin Awards: Penny SMPS Challenge

[Shock]

New stupid for school kids who weren't taught the dangers of electricity.

In other news, another crappy phone charger took out a guy in Russia just recently. Still a slow and steady supply of cheap smps killing people. If you are interested in how this occurs in 2016 a smps electrocution that lead to a fatality was captured on video.

Content Warning: Second video shows electrocution.

[Bark]

There are a lot of really confusing things on this "Tik Tok" site.  There has been recent news about the "skull breaker challenge" and the kids involved seem to be well old enough to know that "skull breaking" should sound fatal.

Yet they do it.

Has anyone seen the movie "idiocracy"?  I think the world is de-evolving in this direction 

[OwO]

I've always associated tiktok with instagram thots. It's called dick tok for a reason (see "d" in logo").

[Domagoj T]

Let's not conflate these two.
One is clearly abuse and intentional circumvention of safety features, the other is an innocent kid dying due to no fault of his while properly using a device that should not have failed in this way.
These two events could hardly be more different.

[Shock]

Let's not conflate these two.

How dare you accuse me of conflating!

Maybe I should have put in an extra video to make it clear they were not related. Well... aside from smps and the dangers of electricity and the need for ground fault protection for the public when they place the penny on the wrong side or use noninsulated mobile/headphones. Oh no, it's starting to sound conflated again.

[Gyro]

That second video is utterly bizarre (and sad!). How can people sitting right next to the poor guy completely fail to react? They can't be that absorbed.

[Gregg]

In the US and Canada balancing a penny on the plug terminals would be a lot more difficult if installers would install the wall receptacles with the larger ground terminal on top (the way it should be IMHO ).  It is too bad the other way around has become the de facto standard because it looks better.
At least all of my receptacles are installed in the correct orientation (except for the one behind the refrigerator due to the molded flat 90 degree plug).

[Ranayna]

But the US sockets make such a nice face with the ground pin down
The thumbnail of the first video actually shows a socked with the ground lead up, which of course does nothing for stuff without a ground pin.

Crap like that makes me glad that our Schuko sockets in germany are so deeply recessed. None of our coins can fit there.
Or do it like the brits, and have mandatory sleeving on the pins. That, combined with the ground pin that is also mandatory, should also make shorting the plug out with a coin impossible.

[Shock]

In Australia we insulate half the line and neutral pins now so less of a touch hazard if it's not fully inserted. Still want ground fault protection though, might end up with a badly burnt fingers but prevents it from getting worse if you aren't thrown off.

[Gyro]

I guess the UK BS1363 plug/socket has been covered enough times for its safe design - not that anyone should get complacent about a mains outlet!

[I wanted a rude username]

In other news, another crappy phone charger took out a guy in Russia just recently.

Was it this case in Volga?

[Shock]

Yes that was the one.

[coppercone2]

the fact that all those people keep sitting there without even getting up to look is very scary

[I wanted a rude username]

Cf. bystander effect.

the greater the number of bystanders, the less likely it is that one of them will help

[coppercone2]

when I see that video it makes me think they are all criminals that don't want to be roped into something, wtf are they doing breaking into fort knox ?

[amyk]

the fact that all those people keep sitting there without even getting up to look is very scary

To be fair, the last thing you want to do is touch someone who is being electrocuted...

[coppercone2]

sit there and play DOTA to the smell of burnt flesh??

[Domagoj T]

Maybe I should have put in an extra video to make it clear they were not related.

It's a matter of too many videos, not too few.

[Shock]

It's a matter of too many videos, not too few.

The way to my heart is not to criticize me on your first outing, I'll need flowers.

[exe]

What is the reason of death? Cardiac arrest?

[Shock]

What is the reason of death? Cardiac arrest?

Died in the ambulance according to what I read. He looked alive in the video so assuming he wasn't damaged internally likely ventricular fibrillation leading to cardiac arrest. Depending on his vitals would have been a good candidate for CPR and cardiac massage at least until he got an epinephrine pen or oxygen etc.

[SilverSolder]

That second video is utterly bizarre (and sad!). How can people sitting right next to the poor guy completely fail to react? They can't be that absorbed.

If you are not familiar with electricity, you probably don't even realize what's happening fast enough.  It was only a few seconds...

[tooki]

In the US and Canada balancing a penny on the plug terminals would be a lot more difficult if installers would install the wall receptacles with the larger ground terminal on top (the way it should be IMHO ).  It is too bad the other way around has become the de facto standard because it looks better.
At least all of my receptacles are installed in the correct orientation (except for the one behind the refrigerator due to the molded flat 90 degree plug).

As I understand it, while the national electrical code does not address receptacle orientation, many local codes now do, specifying the ground-up orientation. Makes total sense, it’s not just you! :p

[tooki]

That second video is utterly bizarre (and sad!). How can people sitting right next to the poor guy completely fail to react? They can't be that absorbed.

Please. That could EASILY happen, it was literally just a few seconds.

Moreover, the culture in China is reported to be one where good samaritans are often accused of malfeasance, resulting in a culture of not providing first aid.

Finally, as others have said, touching someone who is clearly being electrocuted is very dangerous itself. The kid did the right thing by yanking the cable.

sit there and play DOTA to the smell of burnt flesh??

That level of electrocution doesn’t require current sufficient to burn flesh. It’s highly unlikely any significant heating occurred.

[SiliconWizard]

That second video is utterly bizarre (and sad!). How can people sitting right next to the poor guy completely fail to react? They can't be that absorbed.

Please. That could EASILY happen, it was literally just a few seconds.

Yes.

Moreover, the culture in China is reported to be one where good samaritans are often accused of malfeasance, resulting in a culture of not providing first aid.

Didn't know about that.

Finally, as others have said, touching someone who is clearly being electrocuted is very dangerous itself. The kid did the right thing by yanking the cable.

Indeed. First thing to try would be to shut down the source if you can. Or use big protective gloves - you usually don't wear that at all times.

As to getting burnt - it really depends on where exactly the current is flowing, which all depends on the exact conditions. But when being electrocuted with mains, burns are actually uncommon. You usually pull off quickly enough not to get any burn, if you're lucky and have good reflexes. In some conditions/some people will just get temporarily "stuck" (tetanized muscles). This is the worst-case scenario as it quickly leads to heart fibrillation (within just a few seconds).

Burns are more common with higher voltages.