three phase regs

[Inteificio]

I must admit to me it seems implausible to get a 400v belt. By the time you have hit L1, you are getting killed, the time it takes to move on and then touch L2 just seems unlikely.

Just because you got a shock from a 3 phase board does not mean it was 400v.

I had this discussion with my colleague and he cited his 400v hit. Was leaning on the casing of a unit and hit a phase. Said he could feel the 400v difference. Talked through what he had done,
odds were on that he brushed a phase, it exited through his elbow (that was on the earthed panel). Not a 400v shock.

In turn, you guys have been shocked more than me, so maybe you can tell the difference.

As ever the logic does not always tie in with what happens.


believe it or not I have never had an AC belt either 230 or 400v.


However I have been hit by a few thousand volts of DC. Feedback loop charged up an amp. I saw it happening (the heat build up was immense).
My snap decision was to hit the plastic off switch. Arc from the metal hit me and the power for the whole building went.

Still think it was the right decision as the voltage in those caps were climbing by the second and they were big enough to cause serious damage if they blew. I have never seen a big cap go, but even a few microfarads is exciting. 4 military caps the size of a coke can could probably kill.

(p.s. if you have never seen a cap blow, I would recommend it. Most sparkies I have spoken to have never seen it. Get a polar cap, wire the wrong way to a DC supply and stand a few meters back with goggles on. Do nothing bigger than a tic tac size).

 

[bomjac]

I must admit to me it seems implausible to get a 400v belt. By the time you have hit L1, you are getting killed, the time it takes to move on and then touch L2 just seems unlikely.

Problem is that a lot of the old red spot fuse boards had uni-insulated bars. Between the red and yellow phase busbars there was a gap of around 1" - just perfect for catching with 2 digits for the unwary. Probably where a lot of people were educated into how painful that 400V is.

 

[Knobhead]

The range of EE boards before Red Spot had un-insulated bars, Red Spot have always been insulated. The un-insulated ones go back to the 50’s, I’ve worked on lots of them.

I’ve only had the odd tickle from 415V or as most of our gear was then 550V (317V to earth). But I was brought up with old gear and taught what to look out for. I know it goes against what you’ve probably been taught but to me live work is a part of being an electrician.

 

[topquark]

@Inteificio If you're unlucky enough to receive a belt (either 230V or 415V) it would depend whether it has a path near to the heart or not as to whether it would definitely kill you or treat part of you as a heating element. Unless you had a susceptibility due to a medical condition affecting the heart. As long as the exposure is short the damage can be minimal (but not nice either way).

Have had a couple of minor 240V (nothing recent) shocks but nothing on 400V+ (I'm glad to be able to say).

 

[bomjac]

Norway has an interesting take on any persons receiving an electric shock.

Over there you are duty bound by law to report to the hospital for tests, who may decide to keep you in overnight just in case your heart has went into ventricular fibrillation (which may not be obvious for several hours). You are also likely to find yourself (as an electrician on the receiving end of the shock) up in court on the grounds of failing to follow safety procedures around not proving dead, following proper isolation procedure etc.

Incidentally, a lot of their industruial systems run at 690V ph-ph over there, which will give you a nice 400V+ skelp to earth.

 

[Engineer54]

The range of EE boards before Red Spot had un-insulated bars, Red Spot have always been insulated. The un-insulated ones go back to the 50’s, I’ve worked on lots of them.

I’ve only had the odd tickle from 415V or as most of our gear was then 550V (317V to earth). But I was brought up with old gear and taught what to look out for. I know it goes against what you’ve probably been taught but to me live work is a part of being an electrician.

From what i can see these day's, few electricians would come close to working on 3 Phase installations. Your only going to see 3 phase stuff generally on medium to large commercial installations and of course within the industrial industries. Most of the electricians coming into the trade these day's are Domestic Installers, where 3 phase is the exception, rather than the rule!!!

As for receiving shocks, ....had more than just a few of them in the early day's and a few since. Most are well and truly forgotten about, but the one's i remember most, are the 110VDC switchboard control circuit belts, they like to hang on to you!! lol!! OH, anyone that thinks there isn't much difference between a 240V tickle and a 415V tickle, they want to try it, before making assumptions, then tell us you can't tell the difference!!! lol!!

 

[UNG]

From what i can see these day's, few electricians would come close to working on 3 Phase installations. Your only going to see 3 phase stuff generally on medium to large commercial installations and of course within the industrial industries. Most of the electricians coming into the trade these day's are Domestic Installers, where 3 phase is the exception, rather than the rule!!!

Got to agree with that I'm surprised when you talk to sparks who have not been in the trade long how very few even understand 3 phase let alone could work on it. How can you be a "qualified" spark with no knowledge or little knowledge of 3 phase