IS THAT SO?...... I DIDN'T KNOW THAT!

[phillymatt53]

These warnings come completely from our litigious society.
Every warning on every product is there either in order to deter legal action, or because of a past legal action.

The company I interned at many years ago, had to go through this.
Ever since the court cases, every single one of their wire stripper tools, now has to be stamped with the warning, "DO NOT USE ON LIVE CIRCUITS."

You may think that's common sense, but lots of electricians like to work on live wiring for expediency. Or in rare circumstances, necessity.
But my company lost the lawsuit, because it was deemed that "we KNEW people would try to use this on live wires, but we didn't explicity say not to."

Now, it's quite possible, in another country, my company would've won the lawsuit, or it woudl've been thrown out, because in other countries, there's some semblance of what many of you call "common sense." But more importantly, other country's' legal systems also penalize frivolous lawsuits.
Not here.
Anyone can sue anyone at any time. You could say that has it's merits, but also its many drawbacks.

Any fool deciding to use tools in live circuits is at risk, plain and simple.
There is a right way, and a wrong way.
The money-grubbing of lawsuits is making lawyers rich, and not gaining back the damage or losses done due to ignorance and stupidity.
It goes along with the marketing hype of almost everything.

 

[ea56]

These warnings come completely from our litigious society.
Every warning on every product is there either in order to deter legal action, or because of a past legal action.

The company I interned at many years ago, had to go through this.
Ever since the court cases, every single one of their wire stripper tools, now has to be stamped with the warning, "DO NOT USE ON LIVE CIRCUITS."

You may think that's common sense, but lots of electricians like to work on live wiring for expediency. Or in rare circumstances, necessity.
But my company lost the lawsuit, because it was deemed that "we KNEW people would try to use this on live wires, but we didn't explicity say not to."

Now, it's quite possible, in another country, my company would've won the lawsuit, or it woudl've been thrown out, because in other countries, there's some semblance of what many of you call "common sense." But more importantly, other country's' legal systems also penalize frivolous lawsuits.
Not here.
Anyone can sue anyone at any time. You could say that has it's merits, but also its many drawbacks.

Speaking of frivolous lawsuits YKW has made a LIFETIME career of frivolous lawsuits. He files several daily from what I hear on the news.

My Dad was an attorney and I’ve always done everything possible to avoid any kind of litigation. In many cases the only ones that come out on the up side in lawsuits are the attorneys.

Eddie

 

[qsd-dan]

The company I interned at many years ago, had to go through this.
Ever since the court cases, every single one of their wire stripper tools, now has to be stamped with the warning, "DO NOT USE ON LIVE CIRCUITS."

You may think that's common sense, but lots of electricians like to work on live wiring for expediency. Or in rare circumstances, necessity.
But my company lost the lawsuit, because it was deemed that "we KNEW people would try to use this on live wires, but we didn't explicitly say not to."

WTF is it with electricians that are too lazy to flip a breaker?

I glanced at the electrician at work changing out a rocker light switch near my area and noticed he was being awkwardly careful. I then asked "You flipped the circuit breaker on that, right, Paul?" He gets this shitty grin on his face and then I curse him TF out. Idiot has a stay at home wife and 4 kids.

 

[phillymatt53]

WTF is it with electricians that are too lazy to flip a breaker?

I glanced at the electrician at work changing out a rocker light switch near my area and noticed he was being awkwardly careful. I then asked "You flipped the circuit breaker on that, right, Paul?" He gets this shitty grin on his face and then I curse him TF out. Idiot has a stay at home wife and 4 kids.

Idiots are born every day.

 

[phillymatt53]

Widely ignored label...

 

[vacerator]

I know industrial electricians who work on 660, and 440 volt panel entry lines where there is no Breaker other than on the exterior or in a junction yard away from the buildings. Thus they wear thick insulated gloves. Otherwise it's Lockout-Tagout!