Being Electrocuted

[Vapor]

Has anyone (else) noticed that some people can take an electric shock whilst others just die? Serious question, after an incident got me thinking: on a building site, some old cables were unearthed that I was about to test for live when a Polish labourer brushed his back hand against the potentially live cable to test it. He reckoned that whilst he had seen someone electrocuted, he himself had had a few near misses and never been much affected. It can't just be boots? I am a multi-trader and I have been shocked 3 times and I have to admit I was surprised to have been so insignificantly affected.

Another time, I came under the aim of a laser 2020 speed gun, on a motorbike, which tickled my back so incessantly that I accelerated off and had to argue a speeding ticket.

 

[Des 56]

A spark mate was using a 240 volt metal housing drill to hole the beams,cue earth fault and hands on pipes

He came shooting out of this bathroom as if it he been a cannonball, on to the landing with the drill still in his hands
I dont think he actually hit the floor until he smacked into the wall

He was shaking so badly,I had thoughts of putting a Hilti in his hands(off hammer of course) and letting him loose on drilling a hole through the stone wall, to calm the shakes a touch

I'm ashamed to say,it could have been tragic,but sadly laughter got the better of me

 

[Top Cat]

A spark mate was using a 240 volt metal housing drill to hole the beams,cue earth fault and hands on pipes

He came shooting out of this bathroom as if it he been a cannonball, on to the landing with the drill still in his hands
I dont think he actually hit the floor until he smacked into the wall

He was shaking so badly,I had thoughts of putting a Hilti in his hands(off hammer of course) and letting him loose on drilling a hole through the stone wall, to calm the shakes a touch

I'm ashamed to say,it could have been tragic,but sadly laughter got the better of me

No different to the rest of us then!

 

[mcauto]

Has anyone (else) noticed that some people can take an electric shock whilst others just die? Serious question, after an incident got me thinking: on a building site, some old cables were unearthed that I was about to test for live when a Polish labourer brushed his back hand against the potentially live cable to test it. He reckoned that whilst he had seen someone electrocuted, he himself had had a few near misses and never been much affected. It can't just be boots? I am a multi-trader and I have been shocked 3 times and I have to admit I was surprised to have been so insignificantly affected.

Another time, I came under the aim of a laser 2020 speed gun, on a motorbike, which tickled my back so incessantly that I accelerated off and had to argue a speeding ticket.

There is alot of factors involved, one is your body resistance if your body resistance is high you will not not get as bad a shock as someone with low resistance. another is obviously your heart if you have a weak heart getting a shock is not going to be a good thing.

 

[moospark]

I' ve got some solar DC needs testing, come and have a go if you think your hard enough?

 

[trev]

Very early in my apprenticeship we went on a job at a garage, big job lots of high bay lighting, 3ph lifts, inspection pits...I'm sure you get the idea.
So my mentor (who was a total swine, but a good teacher) assembles a mobile scaff, tells me to get up it and start stripping the old light fittings out "Don't worry" he says "I've killed the circuit". Up goes 16 year old Trev (who thinks he's bullet proof) about 20 feet armed with his trusty drivers and starts to strip out. The old bugger was watching for when I put my driver on to what would have been a permanent live, at that point he screamed "BANG!!!"
"After recovering my composure I said "What the hell did you do that for?"
"How did you know it was dead son" was his reply "Never take anyone's word for it"
Lesson learnt the easy way

 

[Strima]

DC's fine, just don't touch both cables...

 

[DaveyLe_Spark]

Check your RCD times and RCD trip current - might be time to replace it!

Brand new board, brand new RCD, installed and tested literally a fortnight before. Tested it again after it didn't pop but all came up fine. Amazing really. lml =)

 

[D Skelton]

british army still teach back of the hand test as standard, i still do it all the time before i touch any bare copper if theres any doubt as to wether or not it's live (even though i have just proved it dead) as you can't always trust bloody machines!

They don't exactly teach it as a way to prove dead though do they.

Mind you, I can agree with the latter part of your post. Even when I've proved dead and locked off I still give it a flick! I learnt the hard way when I proved dead, locked off, went to start stripping the sheath and got a belt whilst at the top of a metal ladder!

I still to this day don't know how it happened exactly, must have been a fault of some kind with my Martindale, either that or I just didn't use it properly! Anyway, yeah, thats why I flick, even when I'm 100% sure it's dead coz in this game, even being 100% sure just sometimes isn't good enough!

 

[Darkwood]

Mate of mine sat in the novelty electric chairs where you grab the bar grips in the amusements ... it shocked him so much he get off all sheepish and said now i know what it really like ...................!!!! Yeah right lol ... i just laughed

 

[alli]

I was talking to Steve who was the handy man on this private estate. The guys who were installing a deer fence came over to say they had finished, this was a big run around 250 acres.

As typical of Steve there had been a lot of banter and friendly rubbing with the lads as he was that sort. Steve then asked how do you check the fence is working effectively, to which the old boy walked over and grabbed hold of the wire for half a minutes and says; just do that and you'll be able to tell.

Steve walks over, full of pee and vinegar and grabs hold, within a second he is on his knees shaking and not saying alot, the lads were peeing themselves laughing. I never seen a 6 foot bloke who was larger than life, shrink into this dribbling wreck so quickly. Its amazing stuff this electricity!

 

[Teddy54]

Got one hand to hand ( terminal to back of oven ) lasted about 3/4 seconds but felt like a minute and was very scary!

Makes you work a hell of alot safer!

 

[Guitarist]

During my apprenticeship we were always taught to isolate, test for isolation and then short live cables to earth..... just to be on the "safe side". I still do it to this day out of habit.

 

[Des 56]

During my apprenticeship we were always taught to isolate, test for isolation and then short live cables to earth..... just to be on the "safe side". I still do it to this day out of habit.

Yes me as well ,another instinctive one for me when working live,I have to drag my left hand out of my pocket to give the right hand a help now and again

 

[cogsey133]

you can't beat a good old apprentice, with all their bravado and undoubted wisdom and who knows better than you, for testing if a circuit is live or not.....lmao

 

[Top Cat]

Yes me as well ,another instinctive one for me when working live,I have to drag my left hand out of my pocket to give the right hand a help now and again

Is "working live" a euphemism for something!:lol: