How-To Books Recalled over Electrocution Risk

Oxmoor House Publishing Company is recalling a series of books sold to do-it-yourself homeowners for half a century. Recalled titles include Sunset Home Remodeling Illustrated (1987), Sunset Basic Wiring (1995), and Lowe’s Complete Home Improvement and Repair (1999), among 23 others.

The books, published between 1955 and 2005, contain errors in diagrams and instructions that, if followed, may cause electric shock or a fire hazard. Although the books have been out of print since 2005, the company is recalling them now because it fears that these books still linger on homeowners’ bookshelves, and still pose a risk.

Serious injury can occur if a homeowner or electrician makes a mistake or fails to follow proper safety guidelines. Electrocution accounts for 500 to 1,000 deaths per year in the United States. Injuries are usually work-related in adults, but children most often sustain injuries at home by touching an electrical outlet or putting an object with an electrical charge in their mouths. Males of all ages sustain more electrical injuries than females-about 80 percent of all adult victims are male.

Burns are a common electrical injury. Burns can be quite severe, even if the surface of the skin does not appear to be seriously affected, since bleeding and injury can occur under the skin. Burns are usually most serious at the point of contact and at ground contact points, such as the hands and feet, especially in high-voltage electrothermal burns. Burns can also result from sudden high temperatures, known as flash burns, or fire, known as flame burns.

Injuries from electricity include not only burns, but cardiovascular problems and blunt trauma. The jolt of electricity can interfere with a person’s heartbeat, producing cardiac arrhythmia. This may induce cardiac arrest if the jolt was severe. Electric shocks also cause blunt trauma, although this is usually a secondary effect. For example, a person who experiences cardiac arrest due to electrocution may fall from a great height, causing blunt trauma.

To avoid injury when completing home repairs involving electricity, it is important to seek the advice of an experienced technician and strictly adhere to all safety guidelines.