Viner, Stephen Leonard

57y · Male·Abnormal cardiac arrhythmia due to electric shock; contributing cause: coronary atherosclerosis

Stephen Leonard Viner, a 57-year-old handyman, died from an abnormal cardiac arrhythmia triggered by electrical shock while investigating a failed sump pump in a flooded basement. He turned on an isolator switch to a supposedly decommissioned blue refrigeration unit, coming into contact with exposed conductive parts with faulty earthing. Viner had pre-existing coronary atherosclerosis which made his heart susceptible to arrhythmia from electrical injury. The coroner found the equipment was not actually decommissioned as believed. Key clinical lessons: unqualified personnel should not investigate electrical failures in hazardous environments (flooded basements); property owners must verify complete decommissioning of electrical equipment; patients with pre-existing coronary disease face increased cardiac risk from electrical shock; and inadequate property maintenance and defect management contributed to the unsafe conditions.