(US Military ) Safety team warns of 'catastrophic' wiring in Iraq

[sabra]

Source: AP

WASHINGTON (AP) — A military team sent to evaluate electrical problems at U.S. facilities in Iraq determined there was a high risk that flawed wiring could cause further "catastrophic results" — namely, the electrocutions of U.S. soldiers.

The team said the use of a required device, commonly found in American houses to prevent electrical shocks, was "patchy at best" near showers and latrines in U.S. military facilities. There also was widespread use of uncertified electrical devices and "incomplete application" of U.S. electrical codes in buildings throughout the war-torn country, the team found.

...

A copy of the team's Sept. 8 report to the then-commander in Iraq, Gen. David Petraeus, was obtained by The Associated Press through a Freedom of Information Act request.

On Wednesday, Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., said in a statement that he is disappointed the Pentagon did not share the report with Congress when it was completed. Casey said he's been trying to get more answers about the electrical problems in the past year.

"This report from a U.S. military task force confirms my worst fears: a glaring pattern of shoddy application of relevant electrical codes, the absence of critical safeguards, and the lack of adequate oversight," Casey said.

Read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hRtuSIlxRACGjK9_OjRsua_VQCJQD97EBDSG1

[canadianbeaver]

1. Make the commanders take their showers where the rest of

the soldiers have to....do ya think things might change, when their lives become a game of roulette every time they want to take a shower? I do.

[bertman]

2. Hell, make the CONTRACTORS take their showers there too. They're the ones who are

getting paid obscene amounts of money to do this type of work that any licensed electrician is capable of doing.

This needs to be dealt with as a criminal prosecution for a criminal act. Some of our military personnel have died because of this shit.

Prosecute them, then sue them for damages until their homes, beach houses, cars, furniture and clothes have been sold to pay off the awards. Then put the bastards under the jail.

[canadianbeaver]

3. Definitely agree to that......

This is some f*cked up shit for sure!! Waste,fraud and criminal neglect....Prosecute them..Yes!

[jmowreader]

6. Any LICENSED electrician?

Someone whose electrical training consists of reading the Home Depot "Electricity 1-2-3" book is more qualified to run wiring than any of these maniacs. It does not take much to hook black to black, white to white and bare to bare all the way through the building.

[bertman]

9. I think the problem here is that these circuits around wet locations must have ground-fault

circuit interruptors so they trip when there's any danger to living beings. Of course, if you hire a helper at half, or less, the hourly rate of an electrician you save money but you have someone doing the work who doesn't know jack shit about the RIGHT and SAFE way to do it.

That's my guess as to what has been going on here. I can't let myself believe that American contractors would knowingly allow this kind of shit to happen.

Yes I can. Never mind. It's always about MO MONEY. Fuck them.

[AzDar]

4. Let's hear the names of the Parties responsible...

:grr:

[dipsydoodle]

5. Mind over matter

The contractors don't seem to mind whether or not the well being of your troops matters. :sarcasm:

[Mari333]

7. seems as good a thread as any to post this link

http://www.businesspundit.com/the-25-most-vicious-iraq-war-profiteers/?

[Lasher]

8. Same electricians that worked on the billion dollar US embassy, no doubt. n/t

[MadMaddie]

10. I can't remember the news show I was watching but

they interviewed a woman who was a journeyman electrician and she said that what she saw was absolutely criminal.

She said that most of the people that worked for the contractor were not qualified electricians. She also said that the reason for so many electrocutions is that the grounding wasn't done properly. She reported the information and she was told to shut up.

There was another story of an experienced Reserve Unit soldiar who in civilian life is an Electrician, he worked from sun up to sun down doing electrical repairs. He said that the original jobs were so poorly done that the buildings should have been condemned as unsafe.

The plumbing done by the same contractor isn't so hot either...

[ConcernedCanuk]

11. No surprise here - USA is having a hard time trying to occupy one defenseless country . .

.
.
.

As in their own country, the USA's gubment sorta forgot to consider the CITIZENS.

Citizens don't like interference too much, even from their OWN government.

Go figure that when it's a foreign government that they might not like it so much.

USA sure ain't winning minds and hearts over in the ME,

and the rest of the World is watching . . .

Most wiring has 4 - count 'em FOUR wires to figure out what goes where.

But the USA can bomb Baghdad from the Mediterranean and the Gulf simultaneously

Methinks they need to use some of their "smarts" for electricians ..

no? :shrug: