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Posted (edited)

People underestimate electricity all the time, even engineers. Luckily it only burned his finger. There's a reason why RCBOs in a house trigger already at something like 30 milli amps. Now consider that batteries for cars or motorbikes can deliver hundreds of amps in an instant. That's four orders of magnitude more. The stuff doesn't slowly ramp up, it hits you like a truck.

Edited by eisfeld
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Posted

Similar thing happened to one of the engineers I worked with in China back around 1982. He was driving a Toyota BJ47 pickup at night that had an intermittent headlight issue. He leaned down to give the fuse block a thump as this had worked before. Unfortunately, the cover had been removed from the fuse block and his wedding ring bridged the 24V and ground. As he jerked his hand free, the hot ring skinned his finger.

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Posted
1 minute ago, eisfeld said:

People underestimate electricity all the time, even engineers. Luckily it only burned his finger. There's a reason why RCBOs in a house trigger already at something like 30 milli amps. Now consider that batteries for cars or motorbikes can deliver hundreds of amps in an instant. That's four orders of magnitude more. The stuff doesn't slowly ramp up, it hits you like a truck.

On that same job in China, we had Onan diesel engines belt-driving 4 large alternators that charged 4 pairs of 200 Ah, deep-cycle truck batteries for the 12V DC supply for our instruments. This was in an enclosed space on the back of the truck. One of the mechanics accidentally dropped a large crescent wrench across the bus bar. The wrench mostly vaporized and we were still finding balls of melted steel in the engine compartment a few days later. Luckily the mechanic was shielded from the molten metal by the generator housing but he couldn't hear properly for a few hours.

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Posted

I'm having sausages for dinner within an hour ...

will not taste the same again, after I was stupid enough to click

"Reveal hidden content"

:sick:  

 

OP Moderator: please another warning:

don't look just before eat food.

 

LOL my fault 

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Posted

I still have a scar on my forehead where I had the high voltage of a TV's focus anode (~5kV) arch over and zap me while I was working on it.

 

NOTE: That occurred back in the 70s while working on tube type TVs. Mild stuff compared to what I worked on later in my career.

Posted

When I was an apprentice one of the tradesmen I was working with was changing the fuse tube on some Hazemeyer HV switch gear at a substation we were doing maintenance at. He had a gold chain around his neck that swung out made contact with the bus.  He died instantly, and in front of me and several other workers.

 

I have never worn any jewelry including watches my entire life.

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Posted
4 minutes ago, dingdongrb said:

I still have a scar on my forehead where I had the high voltage of a TV's focus anode (~5kV) arch over and zap me while I was working on it.

 

NOTE: That occurred back in the 70s while working on tube type TVs. Mild stuff compared to what I worked on later in my career.

My worst electric shock was as a teenager when I used to build valve amateur and pirate radio transmitters.  I was zapped with about 2,400 volts off the anode of the transmitting valve.  I literally flew through the air and landed in a crumpled heap on the floor of my bedroom!

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Posted
25 minutes ago, simon43 said:

valve amateur and pirate radio transmitters.

Translation for those of us on the western pond - tube type ham transmitters.

That's Not Real Ham Radio • AmateurRadio.com

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Posted

Usually not a problem if out in the open but if you are routing around under the dash take off rings for sure. I briefly touched a live wire under the dash had my ring heat up instantly not enough to burn but I learned my lesson. 

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Posted

Just 8 hours ago I plugged in my hot bag I use for back pain and the thing exploded in my face but on the bright side my consumer unit tripped ok and on the right circuit and all that's needed is my wants needs washing and a new hot bag ????????

Posted

You always have to be care full with a ring on your finger.

An uncle, jumped over a fence. His wedding ring stuck on the fence and ripping of his finger. He didnt noticed at first for some time.

But sure metal and electricity they will do fine and stories and pic tells.

Posted
5 minutes ago, VocalNeal said:

Can we add wearing jewelry, gloves and/or lose clothing when operation rotating equipment.

 

Actually I wonder if a "Workshop Safety" thread would be a good idea.

 

Maybe @sometimewoodworker could put something together?

 

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Posted

Took auto shop in high school.  There was 15 pages of safety rules, and at the beginning of each semester each student had to write out the rules, in the classroom.  Legalities, I guess.

I remember the thing about rings when handling batteries. 

Be extra sure to keep the wound clean until it's fully healed.  Best of luck.

 

 

Posted
42 minutes ago, VocalNeal said:

Can we add wearing jewelry, gloves and/or lose clothing when operation rotating equipment.

Collected a few fingers from a table saw in high school and a scalp from wood lathe in jr high woodshop. 
You never forget. 
oh, and stopped wearing rings after the honeymoon …

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Posted
15 hours ago, simon43 said:

My worst electric shock was as a teenager when I used to build valve amateur and pirate radio transmitters.  I was zapped with about 2,400 volts off the anode of the transmitting valve.  I literally flew through the air and landed in a crumpled heap on the floor of my bedroom!

I once got a shock which blew me off the stage when I touched the microphone stand in front of me which I did not know was live. I did not need any medical treatment although it did finish the gig. Unbelievably my Fender Precision Bass and mike were not even damaged.

Posted

I think that Sometimewoodworker's excellent safety brief deserved its own topic.

 

So, it's now over in DIY and pinned.

 

 

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Posted
13 hours ago, xtrnuno41 said:

You always have to be care full with a ring on your finger.

An uncle, jumped over a fence. His wedding ring stuck on the fence and ripping of his finger. He didnt noticed at first for some time.

But sure metal and electricity they will do fine and stories and pic tells.

I used to put my hand in the front door letterbox to close the door as I was walking away from the house. I learned not to after it was trapped fast while I was walking away at speed. Luckily little damage, could have been much worse. 

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Posted (edited)

I quit wearing a ring after my third marriage.  I have scars instead.  Scar tissue is less likely to conduct.

Edited by connda
Posted

Like an idiot one day, I was scraping corrosion on the positive pole of a large 12 volt truck battery with a straightened out paper clip. 

As soon the paper clip grounded out on the frame of the truck, there was a snap, my thumb and finger were branded, and there was a ball of metal imbedded in my thumb!

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Posted

Back in the eighties when i was a kid i had my charity workday in the senior nursing home my mother worked. At a time joined the male caretaker around the building then we get down to the very basement with the elevator. So i waited outside the elevator when i got something from one the rooms in the storages there. So im standing there with some keys and a screwdriver in my hands, then i noticed on the wall outside the elevator door there was 2 round metal items  who looked like some kind of buttons, but they was level with the wall. I imagined this could be a priority button for elevator to come to me first so i got the key and screw driver and pushed in the 2 buttons.  I got the shock of my life, it hit me so hard. What i pushed was the emergency poles for the elevator who is used if lost power and elevator stuck between 2 floors. later someone told me its quote much power in those old heavy elevators ant that i was very lucky to survive it..

 

Pink

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Posted

I recall as a youngster back in the 60s my brother (3 yrs younger) and I was at the local grocery store with mom one day when we found out that touching two different refrigerated meat cases would provide a shock.

 

Mind you the shock was not a lot but noticeable and was more than desired. We used to play a game of dare and see who could hold on the longest. 

 

NOTE: The two meat cases were not really close to each other as we had to actually stretch out to reach both at the same time.

 

Some experience that was passed down to me when I first started working on tube type TVs and is fitting for anytime one works around dangerous voltages/currents. Only work with one hand and place the other hand behind your back looped in your belt. This is so that if you are shocked the current will not run from one hand through your chest (heart) area and out your other hand.

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