How bad could it have been?

[davedasave]

hi, just wondering really, i've been shocked twice in my life, once when i was about 13 and decided to see how a 4 way extension lead worked, i took the plastic casing off plugged in my tv and touched the live metal inside, it gave me one hell of a shock, the 2nd time was last year when i was removing a socket to tile behind, accidently touched something i shouldn't have done and again gave me quite a shock, and made me scream involuntary very loudly for a couple of seconds before i managed to let go.

am i lucky to be alive or is it not likely to be killed this way?

ps. i switch off at the mains before even changing a light bulb now

pps. the 2nd shock i got i went to the fuse box to take the fuse out (before i got a new cu installed) and it was very black but not blown

 

[JohnD]

most shocks are not fatal. they can cause internal damage and burns. Most injuries are when people fall of ladders etc after a shock.

Three phase and other industrial or distribution shock are more often fatal because the voltage is higher.

if you are touching a metal object such as a copper pipe, it will be worse than if you are wearing shoes and dry socks. If you are in wet conditions it wi be worse. If you are with a buddy who is wearing wellingtons and has dry skin, he might touch something without being hurt, but if you are wearing leather shoes you might then get a belt touching the same thing.

It is advisable to have two people trained in first aid and CPR. Two, because if there is only one, what happens if he is the casualty?

sometimes people who have had a shock die later, from heart problems, so you are advised to go to A&E now for checks after a shock.

if it goes from one hand to the other (across your heart) or from hand to foot, it is more dangerous.

Don't be fooled by the people who tell you they had a shock and it didn't do them any real damage.

This is called survivor bias.

the ones who were not killed tell you about it.

The others don't

 

[Spark123]

You would be unlucky to get a 3 phase shock - you would need to touch all 3 phase wires at the same time.
CPR is part of our training, we attend a course once every 3 years.

 

[roberta1000]

You would be unlucky to get a 3 phase shock - you would need to touch all 3 phase wires at the same time.

eh?
Oh well - I think maybe I see what you mean but I think JohnD meant a shock between 2 phases which is nasty.

CPR is part of our training, we attend a course once every 3 years.

just as well methinks!

 

[Spark123]

Yeah, you would probably get a good belt if you touched one phase wire as it is 240v to ground.
If you touched the 2nd you would have one heck of a belt as there is now 415v.
If you touched the 3rd there will now be 3 lots of 240v acting on your body (where would the star point be??)

 

[Marco1976]

Yeah, you would probably get a good belt if you touched one phase wire as it is 240v to ground.
If you touched the 2nd you would have one heck of a belt as there is now 415v.
If you touched the 3rd there will now be 3 lots of 240v acting on your body (where would the star point be??)

would a shock from a live tail from the service head be worse than one from say a socket or light if a domestic installation was not rcd protected?

 

[vsynth]

would a shock from a live tail from the service head be worse than one from say a socket or light if a domestic installation was not rcd protected?

Slightly because of the reduced impedance to the current flow.

 

[Spark123]

It depends on a lot of factors, i.e. rubber shoes, the path back to earth etc. The impedance of the cable isn't going to be much of a factor given the impedance of the human body.

 

[djrichie_t]

When i was an apprentice on the electricity board, I got pinned to the grounf by 2 jointers whilst we were working on an open feeder pillar in the street (full of live busbars and 600 amp fuses)

Well one of the guys touched 1 phase and with his other hand touched my ear, the other guy did the same and onto my other ear... i definately knew about it thats for sure (was an 'initiation process' haha!)

It made me pretty much immune, i know what to expect and pretty much dont feel a thing if i stick my hands across something, however more recent fillings in my teeth means i taste metal more if i touch summin live, kinda feels like im chewing silver foil!

When working in 132kV substations I have gotten quite bad 'pickup' shocks where a spanner has been placed on say a bit of rag, and electricity has induced itself, where the spanner/rag acts like a capacitor and dumps its load straight through your hand when you pick it up, much worse if you forget its gonna happen! lol

 

[JohnD]

another useful tip:

in the very rare event that you see someone electrocuted by a high voltage cable (e.g. driven a crane into a transmission pylon) stand well back and try to get a mesage to the distribution company (there may be an emergency number on another pylon or a transformer or substation, but the emergency services will pass it on anyway).

Because
1) they are dead and you can't help them
2) Even walking across the ground toward them, the same thing may happen to you. Voltage drops off rapidly in the ground when a HV cable touches it, I used to know the safe distance, i have an idea it was something amazing like a hundred feet.

If it happens to you and you are still alive and in the cab of the vehicle, don't get out until you have proof that the power is off and it is safe.

 

[Softus]

if you are wearing leather shoes you might then get a belt touching the same thing.

Would that be a leather belt?

 

[JohnD]

...I guess my company is unique then, in having ... no idiots on the payroll...

None at all?

 

[thompsk]

Anyone had a belt from static ?

Heres something to be really reallw aware of if you work a lot on mewps, did you know that rubber moving about on a metal surface creates a negative static charge, how do i know ? I had a belt that way.
I was working in a factory which had a metal floor in its loading bay, i was at the time earthing all the catenery wires on a scissor lift, for a few weeks all who had been doing the same job had been getting mild belts a bit like what you do when getting out of a car, anyhow this particular day i had driven this lifter about 50M and gone to the place wher i was about to bond, on reaching the area i went up in the lifter and touched one of the already earthed catenery wires, all i can remember is a really sharp pain going down my arm and accross my chest, cant remember owt after that as i blacked out and collapsed. I came to afterwards flat on my back thinking w.t.f. hit me.
Upon investigations by hse it was concluded that it was a static shock giveo by the mewp that was being charged by the friction of the wheels on the metal floor, upon reconstruction of my accident the hse measured some 200kv of discharge, so i was bloody lucky the injuries i sustained were a knackered shoulder and a damaged nerve in me back.
When the lifter company were contacted they said they were aware of static problems as it often fries the circuit boards but it wasnt common practice to fit static strips, so if you ever wondered why they were fitted thats why.
Out of all the shocks ive recieved during my career i can most definately say that was the most painfull.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

the 2nd time was last year when i was removing a socket to tile behind, accidently touched something i shouldn't have done and again gave me quite a shock, and made me scream involuntary very loudly for a couple of seconds before i managed to let go.

Can you say "safe isolation procedures"?

am i lucky to be alive or is it not likely to be killed this way?

As said, current flowing through your hand, or a couple of fingers is not likely to kill you directly. But it could burn you, and it could cause you to drop something, or fall off a ladder, and get more injured, or killed that way.

 

[Deleted member 54734]

would a shock from a live tail from the service head be worse than one from say a socket or light if a domestic installation was not rcd protected?