Fear This!
Stunt Show Crosses Electrical Safety
Line
February 2, 2005
On "Fear Factor," everyones worst fears
are fodder for stunts. On a typical episode, contestants can
be found being smothered in tarantulas, eating roaches or placing
their heads in "torture boxes" with 24 large rats.
The NBCs show has made hit reality TV out of the timeless phrase, "Some
people will do anything for money."
But Monday nights episode has caused outrage among electrical
safety advocates, including the IBEW. NBC executives refused a
last-minute request by International President Edwin D. Hill and
the leaders of other organizations dedicated to electrical safety
to pull the segment featuring contestants receiving electric shocks
against the backdrop of a utility substation. In it, participants
climb though a web-like maze of electrified cables. President Hill
argued that the cavalier use of electrical shocks might encourage
copycat stunts that could have serious consequences.
"Our union, together with thousands of employers, goes to
great lengths to ensure workers are trained and qualified to work
on or near energized electrical apparatus such as the substation
equipment used in your broadcast," President Hill said in
his letter to NBC. "I do not want a television show as popular
as "Fear Factor" tempting anyone to copy this prank."
NBC Program Standards Vice President Ken Samuel responded, insisting
the segment was designed by trained professionals to ensure the
safety of the participants. He also said the program includes a
warning that any electrical current can be extremely dangerous
and that shocks can result in severe injury or death. But the IBEW
believes that the background showing a transmission towers and
a utility substation sends an implicit signal that they are appropriate
places to play.
In its protest, the IBEW was joined by the Electrical Safety Foundation
International (EFSI), the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission,
the Canadian Safety Council and several other industry groups.
EFSI Executive Director Michael Clendenin pointed out that the
cancellation of the MTV show "Jackass" occurred only
after some viewers attempted similar stunts, with deadly results.
"Viewers should be reminded that it does not take the thousands
of volts present in transmission lines and utility equipment to
result in death," Clendenin said. "In the real world,
electricity is an insidious and uniquely unforgiving force that
can fatal even at low levels of current. Indeed, a fraction of
an amp can stop the heart."
|
|
Related Articles
