Electric shock

[Hobsoni]

What's the worst electric shock you have received?

 

[sparks1973]

415V. Happened approx.40yrs ago when I was about the " I,ll never get a shock, because I,m too clever age" Apart from the shock, the sensation I got was as if I was getting drawn into the control panel. But a very very good lesson to me and I still wonder to this day how I,m still here !
Makes you wonder sometimes about what amount of current/volts/power/ and for what length of time it goes through your body IS required to be fatal. The theory and practice don,t always match. NOBODY can be precise about this.

but the fact remains that theres only one way to find out wether its fatal to one person...when another will walk away from it....
definately an argument for safe iso...

 

[clematis432]

Clematis432

That sounds terrifying, balls to that!

How did you mange to get out of that one?

Down to fortune mate I suppose. In the ensuing 40yrs, I have only had one 240V shock and several 110V tickles, probably down to that long ago lesson. I,m sure some of the older leccies have had some similar unpleasant stories, perhaps down to more dangerous working conditions and lack of proper controls at that time. That,s my excuses and I,m sticking to them !

 

[Adam]

My worst shock was when second fixing an installation that had been started by another company.

I went to strip a T&E (incorrect way, I know, but we all do it) by cutting end and pulling the cpc. Live and neutral in one hand, cutters and cpc's in other. Nice 240v shock across my chest. Worst sensation ever, and was difficult to let go.

It seemed to last forever, although was probably only a short time. Me and my cutters went flying across the room once I managed to let go.

I have had little tingles accross one hand, but always make a point of keeping one hand clear when working near live equipment.

 

[Liam12]

Working with another sparky he's on the other side of a stud wall, tracing out some 25mm tails so they can be labelled. Tells me he's isolated the supply to the flat and to disconnect the line and neutral from main switch and to give them a pull, so that's exactly what I done, disconnected both and grabbed hold of both at the same time, iv had your bog standard zap of a final circuit but never one like this, heart was thumping like crazy after. Really scared me, ohh and he had isolated the wrong flat, don't trust anyone only your fluke

 

[thekingiam]

i have had quite a few 230volt, the other day isolating new cu which wasnt connected to lighting.
the worste was about 2 months ago rcd kept tripping moved washing machine to check sockets,machine broke stopcock hidden in floor water everyware tried turning stupcock and water pipe was live,ouch hand tingling for hours after.

 

[Adam]

The size of the supply is not really relevant, as our body resistances will not allow that many amps to travel through us.

Touching a live 6A circuit will be no different to a 100A sub main (at same voltage).

 

[sparks1973]

The size of the supply is not really relevant, as our body resistances will not allow that many amps to travel through us.

Touching a live 6A circuit will be no different to a 100A sub main (at same voltage).

it depends on what potential you represent to it Adam....
and many factors will guide this.....
such as moisture content of skin....and how good a contact with earth you represent...this could be through inappropriate footware...
or if you are holding 2 conductors similtaniously (a really bad practice)
the voltage available
theres loads of factors that will dictate the magnitude of fault that you recieve...

 

[JD6400]

The size of the supply is not really relevant, as our body resistances will not allow that many amps to travel through us.

Touching a live 6A circuit will be no different to a 100A sub main (at same voltage).

Adam i can assure you that taking a lick off a incomer is in a league a million miles away from one off a lighting circuit , i would say it is nearly on par with a lick off 3 phase !

 

[Adam]

it depends on what potential you represent to it Adam....
and many factors will guide this.....
such as moisture content of skin....and how good a contact with earth you represent...this could be through inappropriate footware...
or if you are holding 2 conductors similtaniously (a really bad practice)
the voltage available
theres loads of factors that will dictate the magnitude of fault that you recieve...

I was referring to typical low voltage 230/400 that most of us will be working with.

To get a full 6A shock (at 230v), our body resistance would need to be less than 40 ohms. If our body resistance was approx 40 ohms, we would only receive approx 6A (at 230v) if we touched a 6A or 100A circuit.

I was simply pointing out that electric shocks we receive in the field are not any worse on larger supplies even though some people may think that a 400A bus bar is worse than a 6A lighting circuit.

However, dropping a spanner across live parts will have a much worse effect based on over current protective device.

 

[mackers]

i get an electric shock about every 3 months when i open my bill!

 

[Adam]

Adam i can assure you that taking a lick off a incomer is in a league a million miles away from one off a lighting circuit , i would say it is nearly on par with a lick off 3 phase !

I wouldn't advise licking either (use a volt stick to see if live).

Its bad enough through our fingers, lol.

We could always experiment (any volunteers?), lol.

I'll bring my clamp meter to measure the current flow, and the volunteer can touch a lighting circuit and the incomer. I can't see the current flow being much different.

 

[SKY]

I had a DC belt a few months back, i'm 6" 3 and 18 stone and it threw me back by about 6 metres into a wall.
I had to sit down for a few minutes after that one.

 

[sparks1973]

still not getting potential difference i see in some quarters in here...

 

[JD6400]

Well if you trust a volt stick to tell you the same reading twice , you too will be finding out the hard way if what you think really happens in the real world !
I can as i have already said , assure you it ain't the case .

 

[sparks1973]

I was referring to typical low voltage 230/400 that most of us will be working with.

To get a full 6A shock (at 230v), our body resistance would need to be less than 40 ohms. If our body resistance was approx 40 ohms, we would only receive approx 6A (at 230v) if we touched a 6A or 100A circuit.

I was simply pointing out that electric shocks we receive in the field are not any worse on larger supplies even though some people may think that a 400A bus bar is worse than a 6A lighting circuit.

However, dropping a spanner across live parts will have a much worse effect based on over current protective device.

and would not moisture content of skin
(refer to #22) not dictate the ohmic value Adam?...