Teen electrocuted changing bulb at gas station

(04-19) 13:09 PDT DALY CITY -- A 19-year-old gas-station worker in Daly City was electrocuted as he was changing a fluorescent light, an autopsy found Monday.

Mustafa Algazawy of San Francisco was changing a 16-foot-long,

120-volt bulb at the 76 gas station on South Mayfair Avenue when he was electrocuted about 1:20 p.m. Sunday, said San Mateo County Coroner Robert Foucrault.

The gas station's manager suffered a heart attack when he saw Algazawy fall to the ground, said Krisann Chasarik, spokeswoman for Cal/OSHA, which is investigating the fatality. The manager's name and condition were not released.

Algazawy "was a great worker, and our hearts and condolences go out to the family," said Cina Flores, a district manager for the gas station. She said the circumstances of Algazawy's death are under investigation.

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Reply to
Metspitzer
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Yes another example of fine journalism... not. Hardly any content, and the bulk of what is in the piece is wrong.

Reply to
Pete C.

Is there really any such thing as a 16 foot bulb?

Reply to
Bob F

Is there any such thing as a competent journalist?

Reply to
Pete C.

Special sized high output fluorescent lamps are made for sign lighting.

Reply to
RBM

Metspitzer wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

A sixteen-foot-long bulb?

Is there such a thing? Longest I've ever seen is 8ft.

Reply to
Tegger

"RBM" wrote in news:4bce0cc6$0$4992$ snipped-for-privacy@cv.net:

I can't find that; not online anyway.

I /do/ find specialized ballasts that are made to accommodate total bulb footage of up to 16ft. This means /bulb combinations/ that total 16ft, such as two 8-footers, four 4-footers, etc.

I've handled 8-ft fluorescents, and it's not easy. I can't imagine how hard it must be to handle one twice that length.

Reply to
Tegger

I don't know if there is one 16', but they do make custom sizes. I had to get one for a sign that was either 10 or 11 feet long. It actually looked like two bulbs welded together. These were T12 HO lamps

Reply to
RBM

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I wonder what voltage is needed to light a 16 footer? Then to make things worse, if it's a solid state ballast it's at a high frequency too. Then a fall to the ground also. Ouch. Poor kid.

Reply to
Tony

I've never seen such a thing. What kind of voltage would be needed to start that monster? But if it does exist, which I doubt, how did he expect to handle it *alone*?

I think it was actually a 6ft lamp as was suggested here (sans the racist remark)

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Reply to
DA

Either two 8 foot lamps taped together or one of those deadly AK-47 assault lamps.

TDD

Reply to
The Daring Dufas

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Please define "racist", I see the word used in some of the silliest circumstances. Most people who use the word have no idea what it means. "Indecorous" describes the language you took exception to much more accurately. Perhaps "insensitive" could also describe his twisted comment.

TDD

Reply to
The Daring Dufas

I've installed some ten foot HO sign lamps before. It's not something you will find at Lowe's-Depot.

TDD

Reply to
The Daring Dufas

I know they make some long ones, BAck in the 60s my dad ran a filling station. The office ceiling was 10ft and I remember that you couldnt stand the bulbs up inside the office.

Jimmie

Reply to
JIMMIE

I would rather change an 8 ft single pin to those 4 ft bi-pin SOB tubes! (Some bi-pin connectors are push-in, not common, but much better than the twist variety)

Reply to
Bob Villa

And an assumptive remark at that. I have an Irish last name, so that automatically makes me a Christian? Umm, no, not hardly.

Reply to
tmclone

Some of those attendants at the convenience stores have long arms. Wouldn't one have to touch both ends at the same time to be electrocuted?

Steve

Sorry, someone had to say it.

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Reply to
Steve B

"Bob Villa" wrote

I would rather change an 8 ft single pin to those 4 ft bi-pin SOB tubes! (Some bi-pin connectors are push-in, not common, but much better than the twist variety)

I seem to have a problem with the pins, too. I like those single pin spring loaded types a lot better. I'm always afraid I'm going to pop the glass, and have it rain down on me.

Steve

Visit my blog at

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Reply to
Steve B

Aren't those illegal in Kalifornia?

Steve

Reply to
Steve B

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What happens usually happens after the zap. Many witnesses do not know CPR, and therefore it is not administered until the heart can take over. AC shocks interrupt the electrical rhythm of the heart, and until that gets back into synch, the person does not get proper blood flow. There are only a couple of minutes to initiate CPR, and brain damage begins.

The witness, in this case, also had a medical emergency, so I would assume that he did very little to assist the victim. Also not stated was whether there was other trauma from the fall. Whacking your head on the floor from that height is enough to kill you, too, or in combination. Then, if there are any other cardiac irregularities, either known or undiagnosed, the high frequency AC shock could have triggered a cardioelectric event such as fibrillation or arrhythmia.

He could not have been in contact with the electricity for that long, as he would have fallen and lost contact.

Just a sad story.

Steve

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Reply to
Steve B

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