The report says that the electrocution was caused by a lack of an R.C.D. and a lack of bonding. I suggest that it was due to a lack of earthing of the heating element. If an earth fault occurred then automatic disconnection would have occurred by the protective device if correctly sized and installed. Obviously an R.C.D. would have helped but was not essential for automatic disconnection. Bonding may have helped also to maintain a common Voltage on metallic pipework, but was not essential if good earthing was present. Possibly the heating element split and raised the container to a high Voltage and the poor man connected between the live oil pipe and the ground. Very sad indeed and avoidable.
I have seen split sheathed immersion heaters still working in copper water tanks, when no R.C.D. was present to disconnect the supply. With proper earthing no damage was normally done. It was only when the immersion heater element finally broke and failed to heat the water was the fault reported, and a new heating element fitted.
The report says that the electrocution was caused by a lack of an R.C.D. and a lack of bonding. I suggest that it was due to a lack of earthing of the heating element. If an earth fault occurred then automatic disconnection would have occurred by the protective device if correctly sized and installed. Obviously an R.C.D. would have helped but was not essential for automatic disconnection. Bonding may have helped also to maintain a common Voltage on metallic pipework, but was not essential if good earthing was present. Possibly the heating element split and raised the container to a high Voltage and the poor man connected between the live oil pipe and the ground. Very sad indeed and avoidable.
I have seen split sheathed immersion heaters still working in copper water tanks, when no R.C.D. was present to disconnect the supply. With proper earthing no damage was normally done. It was only when the immersion heater element finally broke and failed to heat the water was the fault reported, and a new heating element fitted.
