Jackie Chan Wanted Real Electrocution and It Almost Cost Him His Life

Jackie Chan wants every stunt in his films to be completely authentic. In several occasions, his commitment to authenticity lead him to hospitals due to fractures and broken bones, but it was an entirely different story for his 1985 film "Police Story".

Jackie was electrocuted as he was filming the iconic scene where he slides down a metal pole covered in lights in a shopping center. The accident caused 3rd degree burns to his face and hands, requiring him to rest for several weeks.

It was reported that the scene was supposed to originally only involve Jackie and the metal pole. After shooting the scene for several times, Jackie requested the crew to cover the metal pole in lights because he though that the "audience would love it". Despite the protest of his crew, the scene pushed through as Jackie wanted it, and the result was a near-death experience for him.

Well, we cannot forever be lucky as Jackie was. An electric shock is a serious matter, and it can cost one his health and even his life. As most of us are not world-renowned actors, we do not need to experience an authentic electric shock to convince an audience - do we? Thus, here are some sensible tips to keep us safe from electrocution:

Always be safety conscious 

Always prioritize safety when working on any project. Experts even advice to slow down. When one hurries through a project, there will be a greater chance for an accident to occur.


Shut the power off 

This is the first thing you should do before working on any electrical circuit is to shut the power off. As of writing, no one yet has been shocked by a circuit that is not energized.


After shutting off, test again

It is a good idea to check the circuit with a tester to make sure that it is off. Never ever assume that a circuit is off.


Aluminum ladders? Please, no

Never use an aluminum ladder for any electrical project. Insulated fiberglass ladders are available, so please use them.


More dangerous when wet

Avoid wet areas when working with any electrical project. If that is inevitable, make sure to wear rubber gloves and boots to decrease the chances of getting shocked. In addition, tools and appliances should be plugged into a GFCI outlet of GFCI extension cord. Lastly, don't forget to dry your hands before grabbing any cord to plug it in or unplug it.

Remember, working with electrical circuits can be extremely hazardous if you don’t take safety precautions. Electrocution can not only injure you but also, worse, kill you.

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PRESS INQUIRIES
Robert Bagatsing
Altaaqa Global
Tel: +971 56 1749505
rbagatsing@altaaqaglobal.com

Temporary power plants could have turned this movie around

No, this is not a review of The Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (Dawn), the 2014 sequel to the 2011 franchise reboot, The Rise of the Planet of the Apes. Let us just call this an introspection: An examination of how a not-so-unrealistic sci-fi movie conflict could have been salvaged by practical solutions.

For those who have not seen the movie, let us give you a short background:

Almost 99% of all humans had been wiped out by a lab-created virus. Roughly a few thousand humans that were genetically immune to the virus were quarantined, and, realizing that they were the only ones left, had started to construct a microcosmic world within the confines of a walled city. 

After a few years of living in isolation, their resources were gradually drying up. The power station that sustained them for several years was showing signs of failing, thus, a handful of men were sent off to tap the potential of a deserted hydropower plant outside the walled city. The quarantined humans were pinning their hopes on the alternative power source, as the existing plant can support them for only a few more days. The continued existence of the human race lied in this mission.

The problem was the world outside the walled city was governed by intelligent apes in war against the humans. In order for the humans to have access to the abandoned hydroplant, they needed to negotiate with the apes and hope that their discussions would bear an agreement. The negotiations, however, might not at all turn out to be friendly….

Though Dawn was a product of pure imagination, the movie revolved around a plot that could potentially happen in real life. Unpredicted catastrophes could hit and paralyze an entire city or country; power sources could fail or be exhausted; businesses and economies could collapse due to a lack of electricity; and negotiations and approval processes for new sources of electricity could turn out challenging, if not at all hostile.

But, what sets reality apart from Dawn’s cinematic exploits is the fact that in our world, temporary power plants exist. Had mobile power stations existed in the movie, they could have provided an instant solution to the problems of the surviving humans. The humans, then, could have averted venturing into a hostile territory with not enough time for preparation and negotiation. They would have enjoyed electrical power when needed while waiting for the representatives of both humans and apes to come into terms and mutually agree to work in revitalizing the abandoned hydroplant.

In our world, human existence need not end when power runs out. While a power scarcity could spell calamitous consequences for households, businesses and economies, we have the means to prepare for it and to actually forestall it. With the continuous improvement in temporary power technologies, their applications continue to expand and their efficiency and benefits improve. Rental energy systems may not be the technology that could vow to save the world from any conceivable disaster, but they sure have the power to provide humans with a sustained decent living, continued business profits and viable economic growth.

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PRESS INQUIRIES

Robert Bagatsing

Altaaqa Global

Tel: +971 56 1749505

rbagatsing@altaaqaglobal.com

Strange Events that Caused Major Power Outages

Large-scale power outages are caused by various circumstances, including overloaded electricity infrastructure, power plant shutdowns, natural disasters and man-made operational errors. But, did you know that even seemingly trivial events can cause extensive blackouts? We have collected five real-life strange occurrences in the US that led to electricity interruptions. You wouldn't believe some of them even happened....

• A bicycle chain thrown at a power equipment

A simple, thoughtless prank led to the inconvenience of more than 1,500 people in Mountain View, California, USA. On Father's Day, June 17, of 2012, an unknown person threw a bicycle chain at a utility equipment, which caused a power outage that lasted for more than an hour. 

• A turkey trying to fly

With the sheer size of the bird, it is not difficult to imagine the damage it could cause with a wrong, rough landing. On April 8, 2012, a turkey was unfortunately electrocuted and roasted upon landing on some power lines in Sonoma Country, California. As a result, the regional emergency 911 dispatch system was interrupted, and operations at the country court house and jail were momentarily hampered. 

• Squirrels fussing with electrical equipment

Squirrels caused not one but two recorded electrical interruptions. In June 9, 2013, a squirrel "entered" into an electrical substation in Michigan, USA and caused a blackout that affected some 2,000 people throughout the city of Kalamazoo. Two days after, on June 11, a squirrel "playing" with electrical equipment took out power for more than 3,000 customers of Austin Energy in Texas, USA.

• A fleeing robber

On August 25, 2012, a suspected felon rammed into a utility pole while trying to escape from the police, causing a blackout for approximately 4,000 homes in Colorado, USA. Wonder if he was ever caught or if his charges included the inconvenience of the aggrieved customers?

• A slithering snake

On May 16, 2012, a six-foot snake made its way into an electrical substation in Alabama, USA. The snake got zapped, causing a power interruption for around 6,800 customers for more than two hours.

These examples show that power outages can be caused by virtually anything. In such case, to avoid unnecessary power supply disruptions, it is best for utility providers to be alert and, more importantly, pro-active. To preclude the scenario of a wide-spread power interruption, utility providers may opt to hire the services of rental power companies, who will be able to offer large-scale temporary power plants that will immediately bridge the gap should permanent power facilities fail. 

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Robert Bagatsing

Altaaqa Global

Tel: +971 56 1749505

rbagatsing@altaaqaglobal.com

Top 5 Most Severe Power Outages in World History

A power outage is not at all a new experience. Most of us must have already experienced being trapped in an elevator in our office buildings, groping in darkness in our homes, or reading under the light of a candle. The reasons for blackouts are diverse and could either be man-made or natural. Some examples of man-made causes of load shedding may include power plant closures, delay in the construction of power sources, facility refurbishment and operational errors, to name a few. On the other hand, hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis, flooding and lightning strikes may be natural causes of an energy outage.

Cases of electricity interruption last from several minutes to days, weeks or, worst, even months. Though not at all new, power outages are not supposed to be “normal”, and regular electricity disruption almost always leads to catastrophic and unsettling social and economic consequences. A power interruption affects the society in more ways than the news reports reflect. Imagine children studying in the dark, hospital patients suffering due to lack of working medical equipment, car owners honking their horns in desperation in a traffic jam that lasts for hours, passengers sleeping on the floors of airports for their flights have been cancelled, bank clients being refused service as computers and ATM machines won’t work, families stressed out as dead mobile phones and erratic coverage won’t let its members communicate with each other. Imagine business owners scratching their head at the sight of a growing deficit, employees being laid off, shops and establishments closing. People filling up the streets, crying for immediate resolution, governments destabilized, economies crumbling down….

We have trawled the Internet to find out the biggest power outages ever recorded in the recent history of the world. For this countdown, we included only those cases that were not planned by the utility provider, and those that have affected at least 1,000 people. Additionally, there must be at least 1,000,000 person-hours of disruption.

• India, July 2012 (620 million people affected)

On July 31, 2012, India recorded what is known as the biggest power failure that ever happened in the world. This severely affected hundreds of trains, and hundreds of thousands of households and other establishments.

• India, January 2001 (230 million people affected)

The Northern Region Grid of India witnessed a large-scale interruption on January 2, 2001. Over 1,500 MW of generation was lost and the entire region experienced a debilitating blackout. The total losses attributed to the event was a whopping INR 7 billion.

• Bangladesh, November 2014 (150 million people affected)

On November 1, 2014. Bangladesh experienced a nationwide power interruption that made the whole country suffer for 10 hours.

• Indonesia, August 2005 (100 million people affected)

The blackout experienced across Java and Bali on August 18, 2005 affected most areas of the region, including business centers in Jakarta and Surabaya.

• Brazil, March 1999 (97 million people affected)

The power failure of March 11, 1999 affected São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais, Goiás, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul and Rio Grande do Sul. The power failure was said to have been caused by a lightning strike.

Massive, widespread and disastrous occurrences of power interruption, such as the ones presented above, could have been prevented had the utility providers or the government been proactive in countering the effects of load shedding. In cases when conventional power sources are not producing enough energy, or when electricity infrastructure are overwhelmed by the demand, temporary power plants can bridge the gap in electricity supply.

As the saying goes, “prevention is better than cure”. Applied in the context of power outages, one can say “preparedness is better than compensation”. With interim power stations on board, a city, a region or even a country can be assured of an uninterrupted, consistent and viable supply of electricity that guarantees economic sustainability, social solidity and political stability.

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PRESS INQUIRIES

Robert Bagatsing

Altaaqa Global

Tel: +971 56 1749505

rbagatsing@altaaqaglobal.com

READER REQUESTS

Altaaqa Global

Marketing Department

P.O. Box 262989

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Temporary Power in Hostile Environments

Temporary power providers are familiar with working in hostile environments despite the trials that such locations present. They accept the challenge of operating in countries where the political, economic, social and security systems are fragile. 

The temporary power industry is no stranger to hostile environments. Lack of infrastructure drives the demand for temporary power.  Operating in such hostile environments increases the temporary power provider’s duty of care. A hostile environment is generally defined as an unstable and insecure environment, where periods of unrest are caused by uncontrolled elements making the host country or the settlement an environment of conflict and unsafe operation. In such environments, workers may encounter risks, such as the presence of organized crime, theft, assault and hostage taking. When deploying professionals in such a context, it is essential for companies to provide safety alerts and travel tips, hostile environment training, country specific briefing and familiarization prior to travel, and a face-to-face consultation to clarify questions that employees may have in relation to the assignment.

Mitigating the risks 
The hazards of any particular project should be identified at the outset, prior to bidding and through a comprehensive risk assessment.  This may involve hiring local or internationally recognized security agencies and conducting site-specific risk assessment to identify the particular security requirements of the project site. The findings from the assessment will determine the extent of the security measures required to keep employees safe and the power plant generating the required power. When the risk level has been determined, safety and security control measures are put in place. The security measures may include using armoured vehicles along with close protection officers to transport employees. A detailed emergency evacuation plan should be drawn up and tested to ensure operational suitability. With security situations volatile, all personnel should be provided with daily security briefings. In worst-case scenarios, companies should be prepared with life, kidnap and ransom insurance policies.

Business continuity can be supported by engaging the services of locals where possible. In addition to supporting the company’s in-house staff members and ensuring that HSE standards are maintained throughout the project, local work force professionals provide specific operational knowledge and experience that are invaluable to the safe and peaceful completion of projects in hostile locations.

Benefits of duty of care towards workforce and subcontractors
Staff deployed to hostile environments are the backbone of the project; without them, the project cannot be delivered. Having a robust safety and security plan in place will provide the employees with the confidence to perform their jobs.

Staff should be provided with country-specific information and security briefings before travel to help reduce tension. After all the relevant information and situational assessment have been laid out, the choice of either accepting or declining the project should be freely given to those nominated for the project.

It is the aim of a temporary power service provider to offer uninterrupted and dependable service even in times of natural calamities, and political and security uncertainty. Business continuity planning considers the security of direct employees and subcontractors.

On hostility and safety
In many situations, accepting a project in a hostile environment is a necessary premise of providing emergency electricity services. These challenges provide opportunities to temporary power providers. Having a robust HSE plan that provides the necessary security to the people who operate and maintain the plant allows these companies to mitigate their risk to some extent. When employee safety takes precedence over equipment, it becomes easy to consider and to give staff security higher priority than profit generation. With business continuity plans in place, working in hostile environments can be made less daunting. The safety of our industry professionals should not be sacrificed, and formulating an HSE initiative should not be an after-thought. As companies, and their employees work in hostile environments, the duty of care through providing appropriate training and physical security becomes an integral part of the business operation.

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*The foregoing article was based on what was originally published in the December issue of Energize magazine, EE Publishers, South Africa.*


Postscriptum

Altaaqa Global's initiative, titled "Providing Adequate Security in Hostile Environments" has been recognized as the Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) Initiative of the Year at the MEP Middle East Awards 2014, and has been named among the finalists at the Middle East Electricity (MEE) Awards 2015.

Majid Zahid, Strategic Accounts Director of Altaaqa Global, and Meghana Millin, the company's HSE Officer,
receives the award for HSE Initiative of the Year.

PRESS INQUIRIES
Robert Bagatsing
Altaaqa Global
Tel: +971 56 1749505
rbagatsing@altaaqaglobal.com

READER REQUESTS
Altaaqa Global
Marketing Department
P.O. Box 262989
Dubai, United Arab Emirates