Several years ago in Eagle River, Alaska a woman was walking her dog near a culvert. Her dog entered the water and began acting erratic. The woman entered the water in an attempt to retrieve her dog. Both the woman and the dog were electrocuted. An investigation revealed that an improperly installed de-icing cable in a nearby culvert was energizing the water. This accident was used to justify a submittal to require Ground Fault Circuit Protection for de-icing cables that was approved and added to the 1993 NEC section 426-53. This new requirement should prevent this type of accident.

However, a proposal to require Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter Protection for receptacle circuits in day-care centers was not accepted. An accident in Fairbanks, Alaska where a child was severely burned by a table lamp with a broken bulb at a day-care center was not presented as substantiation, and the Code panel felt that the submitter's argument was not based on sufficient facts. Day-care centers present a real problem in Alaska. Many residencies are converted into day-care centers. Other residencies are used in the same capacity, but are not classified as day-care centers by the State Department of Health and Social Services until 5 or more children are cared for. All are encouraged to install Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters on circuits in Day-care centers. Furthermore, only listed electrical equipment should be installed and it is further advised to not install table lamps or portable lamps of any kind in day-care centers.

The electrocution of an infant in Eagle River by an energized portable metal lamp that was not listed substantiated a proposal for the 1993 NEC to require that portable lamps be grounded by an equipment grounding conductor or be protected by Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters. The Code Making rejected this proposal claiming that the substantiation did not present sufficient data to justify such a significant change in the Code. It should be noted that NEC section 240-4 Exception No. 1 requires that a No. 18 AWG flexible cord or tinsel cord connected to a 15 or 20 ampere circuit be approved for and used with a specific listed appliance or portable lamp. Otherwise, the cord must be protected according to its ampacity which is 10 amperes for a No. 18 SPT type cord, the type usually used with portable lamps. Also, 410-45 requires that all wiring for portable lamps be tested for defects prior to being connected to a circuit. This accident inspired the State of Alaska Legislature to pass a law requiring that consumer electrical products sold in the State of Alaska be listed by a recognized testing laboratory such as Underwriter Laboratories.