Shower Electrocution in France

Seems very odd given that RCD protection has been around for years across Europe. Not good ?

I consider it possible that the fatalities may not have been caused by an electric shower, the report mentions an "electrical extension" in or near the shower, which might not even have been an electric type.

Could be a simple case of unwise use of an extension cord in a wet environment, possibly no RCD or a defective one, or a shock between phase and neutral.

Very sad, no matter how caused.?

According to Le Figaro, the house was in a very poor state, almost uninhabitable. The electrical installation was also very dangerous and the walls were so damp that currents were flowing in the walls. The stepfather (who also died) had been doing renovation work.


All very sad, but the immediate learning point is to isolate the supply before attempting any rescue. This family also learned the hard way that dilapidated electrics in a dilapidated house should not be ignored.


In the article were a couple of links to fairly recent reports of deaths due to using a plugged in mobile 'phone whilst in the bath. Now why is it that some people just have to use a mobile all the time?

As Chris says I've read in reports in the French media that the family had only just bought the house with the intention of renovating it so I'm guessing they were using an extension lead to power the electric shower in the bathroom.


Unfortunately I think this is one of those 'Oh, it will  be okay, we'll be fine...' decisions that then take a nasty turn.


Bit like this...

Lol... that picture has been doing the circuit for years and is likely to be a set up job to encourage some of the ELF fraternity to get hot under the collar. SImilar to this one

Legh Richardson:

Lol... that picture has been doing the circuit for years and is likely to be a set up job to encourage some of the ELF fraternity to get hot under the collar. 

Yes I believe it was outed as a set up... ?


No one can be that stupid....


Can they....? ?

Maybe those are staged but some apparently dangerous looking things can be done, and is sometimes neccessary, but it helps to fully understand exactly where current will flow from and to, and not be on that path. As an example of apparent risk, when the children were small, and before we had central heating installed, we used to take an electric fan heater into the bathroom on an extension lead - it might have been safer on a dedicated RCD socket, but the main thing was to turn it on and off from the dry end of the lead, and  not touch it when in the bathroom. 


The problem for the non technical risk taker is that some equipment seems to be designed almost as if to encourage unwittingly risky actions - pressure washers with a 13A plug for example, are almost bound to be unplugged with wet hands at some point.

I guess French RCDs can get just as sticky/faulty as ours. Maybe just one of the unlucky 7% on that score...


I suspect that there aren't too many instantaneous electric showers in domestic use in France - not with their typical 30A or 45A single phase supplies. Sounds more like the 'source' of the shock current was the extension lead and the shower just provided an earth.


  - Andy.