SaferProducts incident

Failure type

Electrical shock / short

Incident narrative

SaferProducts.gov consumer incident report 20181221-61D9A-2147383656. Severity: Injury, Level of care not known. Product: LG LMV1813SB (Microwave, Over range, wall mount). Incident: There is a Electrical Shock Hazard and thus a LIFE SAFETY ISSUE with the LMV1813SB over the range microwave. The hazard is that the threaded portion of the under unit light socket is hot/energized even though the light is not switched on. I have verified this case with a meter and it shows 120Vac between the socket's threaded portion and its reflector. Normal & safe design practice is for the socket to be grounded (not hot, not energized). What Happened: While changing the under unit right side light bulb, I was shocked. While threading the light into the socket, I was touching the threads of the light bulb and the other part of my hand touched the reflector. I immediately felt an electrical shock. Had another part of my body provided the current path, the outcome could be more dangerous than the shock sensation and resulting jerk. In some cases it could be deadly. Replacing the bulb as I did is not unexpected: - Changing the light bulb should be expected - Given that it is a somewhat awkward potion to change the light bulb, it is reasonable to expect that the user may contact the threads which contact the energized portion of the socket as well as contacting the reflector which is at ground. - It is not unexpected that another portion of one's body may be grounded to a stove below it or to another ground potential. This would result in current flowing through the body core and potentially flowing through the heart. I contacted LG and they indicated that the instructions say to wear gloves when changing the bulb (who does that). They indicated they would look into it furthe