Warning issued after a Katanning man was fatally electrocuted by a home-made electrical device

The death of a Katanning man who was electrocuted by a home-made device is a stark reminder of the dangers associated with unlicensed electrical work, WA’s energy safety regulator has warned.

The warning follows the prosecution of Steven Buckle, the man who made the device that delivered the fatal electric shock.

Buckle appeared in Perth Magistrates Court on December 10 after pleading guilty to breaching WA’s electricity licensing regulations.

The court was told Buckle watched internet videos and used microwave parts and jumper leads to make a DIY electrical device.

The device was used for Lichtenberg or fractal burning which is an art technique that uses electricity to create patterns on wood.

In March 2020, Buckle loaned the device to a woman and her male friend near Katanning who took turns using the device.

The man made contact with the live electrical components of the device and received a fatal electric shock.

Buckle was not present at the time of the incident and said that he did not personally know the deceased man.

Magistrate Donna Webb fined Buckle $8000 and ordered him to pay costs of $573.50.

Ms Webb said she noted his early guilty plea and remorse, but added that the tragedy was the “ultimate example” of the dangers of unskilled electrical work.

A similar wood art burning device is believed to have caused the death of a South Australian man in 2018.

Thirty-one people in the Unites States have died as a result of Lichtenberg or fractal burning devices in the past five years, according to the American Association of Woodturners.

The association has since banned the art technique at its events.

Building and Energy acting executive director Nabil Yazdani said domestic electrical appliances must have a regulatory compliance mark — a tick inside a triangle — to show they had passed rigorous safety tests to be approved for use in Australia.

“The construction or use of any homemade electrical device can have devastating consequences in a split second,” he said.

“These DIY appliances often involve missing or inadequate protective components, improper use of parts and unskilled construction and handling of a potentially deadly high-voltage apparatus.

“As this tragedy shows, it is simply not worth the risk.”