Comments on: Electrical Risks at Bases in Iraq Worse Than Previously Said

By: still here

still here — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 13:39:42 +0000

I’m an electricia here in the B sites now, July 20, 08, and I have to wonder how many of the “electrical fires” were the result of bad appliances, lights or plug adapters. I see melted recepticals often and the device plugged into them have mysteriously disappeared prior to arriving for repairs. It is to bad that the good ol’ boy network promotes poor managers. I have seen them come and go. After a while their short comings are noticed and they are transfered.

Ms Sparky’s Response:

Thanks for having the guts to comment while you are still there. I agree with you. Cheap unlisted power strips, adapters, receptacles, light fixtures and breakers that won’t trip are a big problem. But who buys them? I know some are pre-existng but we installed a bunch not to mention the garbage that was installed in our trailers when they were built by third country nationals. KBR wouldn’t buy CE (European Listing Agency like UL in the States) listed powerstrips for the tool room because they cost to much. I recommended to our camp manager that all incandescent light bulbs in the 400 trailers be replaced with compact fluorescents to reduce the heat produced (ac’s don’t have to work so hard) and reduce current to shed some load off the generators. And because they are less susceptible to voltage fluctuations they last longer and it reduces overall maintenance costs. His response “Oh no, we can’t do that. That cost too much.” The conversation was over! This was 2005.

And as for the incompetence of the management chain. Even violations of General Order 1 by a manager normally just got you transferred to another camp. I never really heard of a manager being fired just promoted by the “I’ve been here the longest” method!

Thanks again.
Please stay safe.
Ms Sparky

By: ms sparky

ms sparky — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 02:51:47 +0000

I have read this article over and over and am stunned. 283 electrical fires and two deaths in 6 months. That averages over 1 1/2 electrical fires a day. Just where would this be OK? This is much bigger than poor electrical work. This is poor management, supervision and oversight!

By: jessica.torie

jessica.torie — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 22:20:14 +0000

omg! I can’t believe it!

By: Secret_Ninja

Secret_Ninja — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 17:39:25 +0000

That’s just fucked up ten ways till Tuesday!

How do these spin doctors sleep at night? Who owns KBR and whose pocket are they in?

Makes me ill.

By: Wishwords

Wishwords — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 15:47:49 +0000

I wonder if the chow hall he mentions is the one that burned down at Al Asad? The official reason for the fire was a lightning strike, but the storm had passed over a couple of hours before the fire started. There was an electrician and an HVAC tech there who saw the arcing on the line to a refer unit. It caught some insulation on fire and spread like mad.

Several technicians had inspected the building while the subcontractor was setting it up. They complained that the work was substandard and unsafe. They were told that KBR couldn’t make the subcontractor redo the work unless the systems failed. Funny, but the work was completed in record time and the contract manager got a promotion shortly afterward.

I remember one electrician complaining that there was no conduit for the wiring under the floor. The subcontractor had laid the wire and poured the concrete right on top.

The people doing the work were from India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka… and were mostly unskilled laborers. Funny how that type of thing keeps popping up in this mess.

By: DAB08

DAB08 — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 14:59:53 +0000

I think Jim Risen and everyone that testified should get medals of honor for bringing this out to the public who would have otherwise never known.
Can Heather Browne, KBR PR really like her job now? (Covering up the “cover-up”)