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From: Jeff Layman <Jeff@invalid.invalid>
Newsgroups: sci.electronics.design
Subject: Re: electrical deaths
Date: Thu, 28 Nov 2024 08:24:29 +0000
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On 27/11/2024 17:17, Cursitor Doom wrote:
> On Tue, 26 Nov 2024 22:14:56 -0500, Edward Rawde wrote:
> 
>> "john larkin" <JL@gct.com> wrote in message
>> news:iv1dkj1d8qa5cvm4r5b7mbehcot0lnd057@4ax.com...
>>> https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Age-adjusted-mortality-rates-from-
> electrical-injuries-per-1-million-population-European_fig1_221916189
>>>
>>> The US (0.63 PPM) is probably low partly because we have mostly 120
>>> volt gadgets. I usually wire boxes hot, and get tickled now and then,
>>> no big deal.
>>>
>>> Some countries are astounding.
>>>
>>>
>> 240V AC never did me any harm.
>>
>> I first remember it when I moved a lamp in the loft (attic) which my
>> father had left there with the base off with live contacts exposed.
>> It was unpleasant but not harmful. I only just manage to avoid putting
>> my foot through the ceiling.
>>
>> Later I was moving out of a flat (apartment) and we couldn't find the
>> keys to turn the power off.
>> The removal guys refused to disconnect the cooker (stove) live so I did
>> it for them.
> 
> Same here. Having dry skin helps a lot. There are still two real dangers
> though: wetness in whatever form and accidentally poking your finger into
> a socket where there's a live strand sticking out which punctures your
> skin. That's when you can *really* get a belt!

It can also get nasty when muscle goes into spasm and contracts a hand 
or even just a finger round the conductor, so you can't get free easily.

My first unpleasant experience was with a 350V DC supply in a valve 
radio which I was trying to fix. I was holding the DC+ wire ready to 
resolder it to the smoothing capacitor. I had removed the capacitor from 
its mount, but it was still connected to the rectifier on the negative 
side. It wasn't in quite the right position for soldering, so I just 
went to pick it up to move it. I had completely forgotten that the case 
was connected to the -ve side, and got a hell of a belt from it. My hand 
contracted around the capacitor, and I wouldn't have been able to let go 
but my arm muscles also contracted and I involuntarily threw the 
capacitor 15 feet across the room. That broke the connection, but to 
this day I don't know why I hadn't turned off the power to the radio 
before resoldering. It could have been a lot worse.

-- 
Jeff