My biggest shock yet.....Always prove dead!!

[Softus]

So....which solution did you choose?

 

[sooey]

i recently found out, that if you manage to unfortunately end up gripping a live cable it is absolutely impossible to let go because the electricity causes your upper arm muscles to tighten

I was under the impression that this only applies to dc current, not ac. Is that wrong?

 

[RF Lighting]

AC certaily does tense you muscles.

Absoloutly horrible when it happens.

 

[333rocky333]

I was under the impression that this only applies to dc current, not ac. Is that wrong?

As an apprentice I was told horror stories about old dc lifts and how you could not let go.

Ac you definetely feel it and you sort of shake a bit, but luckily not had worse than that.

 

[i_am_fubar]

if you ever find yourself gripping live.... use every other non-twitching muscle in your body to pull away, you should be able to throw your body weight back enough to slip your hand off the wire... I think... confirmation?

 

[TopPosition]

I've had a number of shocks. All have been down to carelessness or tiredness on my part.

The biggest was when I was replacing a consumer unit for a friend's parents. I hadn't bothered to tell the board so the supply was still live. I got the old unit out no problem and then put myself across the incomer as I manoeuvred the new unit into position. I guess I was wearing the right footwear or something cos although I had to sit down for a couple of minutes there didn't seem to be any permanent damage.

Not something I want to ever repeat though

 

[gasmick2]

Hi i had a nasty shock a few years back after fitting a large warm air heater in a mate of mines factory,
it had its own controler so all it needed was a feed to it , below was a basement room where all the wiring to the plugs ran perfect i thought,
in the room was a compessor with a leadlight pluged in, so i showed my lad where the fuses were and told him to pull 1 out at a time until the light went out ok thats it!!!!! , So on my plastic hopup(beercrate)
and cut int the cable to insert a junction box what i failed to notice was the live and neutral were fused seperatly ??? as it was an old fuse board
on cutting into it with a pair of cutters it got me and as you say it hurts
eventually the fuse popped what a releif to make things worse the factory had had a few problems with fuses blowing when using the cutting machines etc, so instead of getting a sparks to sort it out ,
they decided to use a bit of earth wire as a fuse
God knows how many amps i was pulling before it touched the earth
wire in the cable, but it melted the copper wire so it had a ball on each side of it i was lucky my mate upstairs thought it was funny
and said well at least your heart must be ok
nowdays i always use a plug tester and a device that lights up when the mains are in the cable

mick

 

[ekcopyephilips]

Just remember it only takes 25mA across your heart to stop it ! Thats a medical fact

 

[2scoops0406]

the incidence of heart attacks in the few days after an electric shock is much higher than in people who haven't been shocked, so attendance at A&E is now recommended even for survivors..

This is absolutely correct. Whilst an electric shock may not kill you instantly it can can arrhythmia in the heart, you should always get checked out. The same is true for people who have been submersed in water, but have not drowned, you can drown later on.

 

[2scoops0406]

i recently found out, that if you manage to unfortunately end up gripping a live cable it is absolutely impossible to let go because the electricity causes your upper arm muscles to tighten

I was under the impression that this only applies to dc current, not ac. Is that wrong?

I believe this is why firemen enter dark electrically uncertain buildings feeling their way with their palms facing towards them. Mind you I could have dreamt that I read that.

 

[conny]

With regards to the DC question you get the belt when you let go, or touch something that is earthed or shorted.

AND BOY DOES IT HURT!!! Even at low voltage. Ever seen someone catch their watch bracelet on a car battery? Not a pretty sight when he gets himself off, it's like a welding set.

Firemen also test for hot surfaces with the back of their hand for the very same reason. It is more sensitive than the palm and if you do involuntary grip some thing then it will be fresh air and not a cable or door handle.

 

[Softus]

Ever seen someone catch their watch bracelet on a car battery?

How do you use a watch bracelet to short across two battery terminals?

And what do you think would happen if you grasped both terminals of a 12V car battery with your bare hands?

 

[blacksheep]

probably means when shorting the postive to the chassis, sometimes the positive is quite close to the wing of the vehicle or some other negative chassis point. You can also do this quite easily with starter motors as they bave a perminent positive attached etc...

 

[mattylad]

Car batteries often also have metal brackets across them that can easily get shorted to the positive electrode.

 

[plugwash]

And what do you think would happen if you grasped both terminals of a 12V car battery with your bare hands?

A little current would flow through your body, probablly not enough to be noticed.