Fractal Burning Has Killed and Could Kill You
“Safety incidents at a nonprofit can result in the loss of life or permanent injury, plummeting employee morale, reputational damage, insurance claims and costly financial and human resource burdens for the nonprofit.”
How Much Current Can The Human Body Withstand? Updated On: 12 Nov 2021 By Akash Peshin
The effects can be summarized in tabular form as follows:
Source: https://www.scienceabc.com/humans/how-many-volts-amps-kill-you-human.html
SWAT Vendor Registration RULES:
No Vendor is permitted to display, sell or demonstrate a fractal burning device or display artwork with embellishment produced by fractal burning techniques.
Failure to follow or comply with the above Vendor Registration Rules could result in up to and including being banned from future SWAT events and/or immediate expulsion from the event / building without refund. *
By checking this box I agree that I have read the "SWAT Vendor Registration RULES:" above and will comply with them.
https://wpforum.wufoo.com/forms/swat-2023-vendor-registration
- AAW Reiterates Fractal Burning Policy
By: Phil McDonald AAW President,
June 2022
To the Chapter Leader Community:
For the past five years, AAW has continued to monitor reports of death and serious injury resulting from the technique known as fractal burning. The AAW Board of Directors established a policy prohibiting this practice across all areas under AAW’s control in 2017.
Following two recent deaths in Wisconsin attributed to fractal burning, AAW’s Safety Committee, which is responsible for promoting safe woodturning practices, again wants to raise awareness in the woodturning community about the inherent dangers surrounding this technique.
We encourage everyone to stay well-informed and keep turning safely.
Fractal Burning Kills; AAW Reiterates the Dangers
The AAW Board, through its Safety Committee, wants to re-emphasize the dangers associated with the process known as Lichtenberg, or “fractal,” burning, an embellishing technique that uses high-voltage electrical current to burn patterns on wood. This often unsafe, life-threatening practice has once again surfaced in the news and on social media, following a two-victim incident in April 2022.
In 2017, the AAW Board of Directors voted to ban any fractal-burning demonstrations and equipment sales at AAW-sponsored events. The ban prohibits displaying fractal-burned pieces at any AAW-sponsored event and promoting the practice via articles in AAW publications. Sadly, since the AAW Board adopted its policy on fractal burning in 2017, there have been thirty-three reported deaths directly attributed to fractal burning, and an unknown number of injuries and close calls.
Learn About the Hidden Dangers
Fractal burning poses a significant hidden risk of electrocution. It speaks volumes that there are no UL-rated fractal burning units commercially available. Many of the YouTube videos that show how to build these devices at home do not adequately address the inherent safety concerns. Many users think they are being safe, but the number of serious injuries and deaths says otherwise.
To learn more about what makes fractal burning dangerous, visit tiny.cc/AAWfractal or scan the QR code. This webpage lists known deaths, the AAW’s official position on fractal burning, as well as other resources.
AAW Chapters Take Note
The AAW Board’s 2017 policy explicitly extends its position to its chapters: “AAW-chartered chapters are strongly urged to refrain from demonstrating or featuring the process in chapter events.” Yet the practice persists at the chapter level. The AAW Safety Committee, with endorsement from the Board of Directors, requests once again that its members and chapter leaders join in the AAW’s efforts to discourage the use of fractal burning. Do not promote the practice via newsletter articles or social media posts, and do not allow fractal-burned pieces to be displayed in instant galleries, exhibitions, at chapter meetings, or on chapter websites.
Further, due to liability concerns, the AAW Board has decided to disallow chapters that promote, demonstrate, or allow the use of fractal burning to be eligible to obtain, or renew, insurance through the AAW for their chapter.
—AAW Safety Committee: John Beechwood III (Chair), Steve Pritchard, and Kevin Jesequel
- AAW Reiterates Fractal Burning Policy
SPW VP BH has been promoting Fractal Burning on the club webpage since July 15th, 2022
SPW SEC MW promotes Fractal Burning on the club web page since Mar 10, 2022
MM promotes Fractal Burning in the newsletter and webpage going back to Oct 6, 2021
RS since Aug 30 2022 wood pens
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The Safety Culture Concept with Dr Dominic Cooper, episode one
One Percent Safer - Meet Our Speakers Dr Dominic Cooper
Chapter Stalwarts
Stalwarts - every chapter has a few. You know - the person who is the first to pitch in and the last to quit at the end of the task. It takes a lot of effort by a lot of people to make a chapter successful, but usually there are one or more "quiet stalwarts." They are the backbone of most of the chapters. When nobody else will take on a task, they will. When everyone else has burned out, they keep on plugging. Not once, but time after time, year after year, always giving to share the joy of woodturning. We know how important they are to the chapters, and we'd like to help the chapters recognize them
James (Jim) Boott Harris, South Plains Woodturners
James (Jim) Boott Harris, was the South Plains Woodturners president about 12 years ago. You will find him sitting in on most board meetings and if you need help at the County Fair trade show booth, First Friday Art Trail table, or Lubbock Arts Festival, Jim will be the first to show up and the last to leave. He also comes to all the classes that run for 3 hours/night and makes cookies for the mentors and students. We have the chance to do a yearly online vote with a local bank for our Community Awards. Jim and a few others really get after the voting and we have received $7,500 in the last three years.
Photos: Top left - Jim Harris with his big mallet at show and tell. (Photo Credit: Kent Crowell) Top right - Jim Harris helping youth at the YWCA Lubbock. Bottom - Kent Crowell and Jim Harris (in green shirts) accepting Community Awards checks.
Click the title to see the photos on the AAW site.
The mission of the South Plains Woodturners is to provide
education, information, and organization to those interested in turning wood.
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