Whats the worst shock ( Electrical ) you have received and how ?

[Knobhead]

For me 10KV to earth of a 100VA ignition transformer. Landed in a heap on the opposite side of the room.

The first tradesman I worked with was testing a hoist we’d rigged up on the test bed. I was reading the drawing and told him to short 1 to 3 on the control, he shorts 1 & 3 on the incoming 550V. Burns up both arms and across his chest where the wire vaporised. 4 months off work, poor sod!

As for the spanner across the bus-bars that was the training officers trick, I was the silly schmuck that closed the 1000A DMO OCB. DMO = dependant manual operation.

 

[oldtimer]

Was putting the cover back on a 12 way db that was mounted on a rising main busbar so when I switched it back on I got an welders arc then when I reached to switch it off it went bang and I found myself thrown across the staircase so found the main 700A fuse to have blown because what I thought was a switch fuse under the db was a switch isolater where the singl 16mm cables were run in 25mm drilled holes on the back with no bush so over the years constant switching on and off was rubbing the cable against the chaff.

8 hours later i woke up blind and was rushed to the eye pavilion where I was diagnosed with a severe welders flash so I had stay off work for a week with my eyes covered and the kicker was I did not get paid when off sick

 

[somersetsparks]

When I was a first year, The sparks I was with changed a flurry in HMV, I isolated the circuit for him and he ripped the fitting down, put the new one up, then he put a one neutral in each hand and got sent flying off the steps, customers swarmed round gawping as he stood up in a barrage of foul language! Turns out that the lights in question were fed from a 4 core armoured into light line trunking, on 3 single phase breakers with shared neutral, we didn't notice the lights at the other end of shop going out as he disconnected the neutral as only 1 or 2 were working and they were behind us! Enlightened me in regards to 'test before you touch' We reccomended fitting a 3 phase Breaker, Don't know if it ever happened though!

 

[somersetsparks]

I worked in a very old animal feed mill, just after finishing my apprenticeship, which was a mass of conduit cables in galv trunking all over the place. Needed to trace a supply one day, so after locating the correct 3 phase cables I decided that it would be a good idea to run my hand along them to see where they left the trunking. What I didn't realise until after the event, was that mice had been living in there and had removed the insulation from a section of cables (and yes, I found a few little skellies in there when replacing the cable later). 415v across the hand was not pleasant.
That's what really scares me about these short training courses...even after 4 years I was still making stupid mistakes, yet these guys only have a few weeks in a classroom before doing it "for real".

After a few minor zaps as an apprentice, I always wear one of my 11kw gloves before delving into trunking now!

 

[JD6400]

Working in a Dockyard there was never any shortage of old equipment....even been know to work with oil filled dashpots...lol

We have got a couple of farms with these still in use , one is on a vac pump in a milking parlour and the others are on a grain dryer .

 

[Rockingit]

Around 15yrs ago I took the arc from a 415v ph-ph short across my elbow from a connection that came loose in a board (not mine, I hasten to add). Flew me off my steps by a good 10', a well and truly scorched elbow that hurt for ages as it wouldn't heal because of the bending, and sufficient fc that it took out the respective 400A incomers.

I've had a load of various belts before and after, mostly by genuine misfortune though will confess to a couple through my own stupidity, though nothing compared to that.

 

[Rockingit]

After a few minor zaps as an apprentice, I always wear one of my 11kw gloves before delving into trunking now!

Been meaning to get a new pair for a while, anyone know a cheap supplier?

 

[Adam]

After a few minor zaps as an apprentice, I always wear one of my 11kw gloves before delving into trunking now!

We had a job doing that once.

An electrician had been electrocuted whilst installing additional wiring at a Health Protecton Agency site. The work was suspended, and we were called in to carry out a thorough inspection of the trunking system.

We had to inspect every section of trunking abovefalse ceilings and report any damaged, or loose cable ends.

We had to wear 1kv gloves and face shields.

 

[Des 56]

The only real shocks I have had were workmates getting zapped,one funny others tragic


One long time mate,was drilling holes in the upstairs bathroom of a house (whilst I was having a sandwich sitting on the landing)
He shot out backwards from the bathroom,hit the wall by me shaking like a leaf,(his metal cased drill had earth faulted and the close central heating pipes didn't help)he had landed next to where I sat,so i was glancing sideways to him,
I sat there looked at him,at first with concern and sympathy, then uncontrollable laughter when he started slurring,shaking and swearing



Other times was tragic although I didn't witness the accidents

One workmate was working on overhead crane,had a shock, fell off and got killed
Another lost his lower part of the arm in a panel accident

Myself,I've had the odd tingle but nothing of any significance in well over 4 decades

 

[johnboy6083]

The only real shocks I have had were workmates getting zapped,one funny others tragic


One long time mate,was drilling holes in the upstairs bathroom of a house (whilst I was having a sandwich sitting on the landing)
He shot out backwards from the bathroom,hit the wall by me shaking like a leaf,(his metal cased drill had earth faulted and the close central heating pipes didn't help)he had landed next to where I sat,so i was glancing sideways to him,
I sat there looked at him,at first with concern and sympathy, then uncontrollable laughter when he started slurring,shaking and swearing



Other times was tragic although I didn't witness the accidents

One workmate was working on overhead crane,had a shock, fell off and got killed
Another lost his lower part of the arm in a panel accident

Myself,I've had the odd tingle but nothing of any significance in well over 4 decades

It does make you think, when you hear stories like that.

In a domestoc situation, the risks are usually getting a shock which could cause heart failure ect, and/or falling from ladders.
Some of the systems in an industrial situation could cause an explosion, alongside the other risks.

I dont think enough emphasis is put upon safe isolation & safe working practices.
To be honest, playing jokes upon people with the megger ect probably serves to teach people to be more careful. I always treat cables as if they are live, even if i know they are not.
Ive had a few jokes played on myself with the megger, and im probably more cautious as a result. Im a stickler for proper safe isolation ect though.

Ive had a switchfuse wired the wrong way around so that the unswitched neutral pole was L1, and neutral was switched. It was an assembly mistake by the panel firm, but there is no markings to show this, It was only by testing dead that i found this. It was on a large panel with the transfomer next door too. The switchfuse was a metre away behind the 3ph DB i was working on, but i still checked. I heard that before found out , another spark had got a belt but not reported it, as he didnt carry out safe isolation ect so thought he would get an earfull from management.

 

[Geordie Spark]

My worst electric shock was receiving the first leccy bill from EDF Energy after changing to them due to their salesman promising much cheaper leccy that my previous supplier.

 

[kingeri]

My worst electric shock was receiving the first leccy bill from EDF Energy after changing to them due to their salesman promising much cheaper leccy that my previous supplier.

Me too.

 

[Darkwood]

I once stuck a 9v battery on my tongue rrr: ... im just one of those guys who takes high risks :smug2:

 

[Silly Sausage]

I once stuck a 9v battery on my tongue rrr: ... im just one of those guys who takes high risks :smug2:

Electrophilliac :wink_smile:

 

[tidyboiler]

When the test strip went blue and I found out I was expecting twins. :drunk:

 

[malcolmsanford]

This thread though tongue in cheek a lot, really does show us how this stuff is really dangerous. It got me looking back and reminding me of the worse thing I ever saw working.

I was out here in the 90s as an hospital engineer and it was Christmas day, which is obviously not celebrated. I was in our boiler house where we had steam boilers and the condensate tanks for these boilers where in the sub tunnels.

I was there with the lads and we heard this scream, and couldn't at first find it, but it went on and on and after about 5 minutes the lads found this lad.

He was in the tunnel doing some work on top of the tank and he jumped off, onto the sump side of the tank, where the steam condensate pipe drained into the sump and into the drains. This sump was covered by an hinged steel plate about 15mm thick. It was designed to hinge up if the tanks drains got blocked so you could clear it.

Well over the years this hinged plate must have corroded and as the guy jumped onto it, it folded in on the hinge and he went into the sump. We reckoned the water in there was about 85-90 degrees and he went in up to his chest.

By the time I got there they were pulling him out, and even today I can see his lower body and what was left of his skin ..........not ashamed I nearly threw up and his brother did ..............My lass was the director of nursing at the hosp[ital and I as I called her one of the lads called the ambulance, and we got him to A&E, he survived 4 days in ICU and to this day I can still hear him screaming, until he passed out.

 

[mayfair]

Makes me sick there's always one of these high risk junkies trying to get one up on everybody else......9V bet it was flat. lol

I once stuck a 9v battery on my tongue rrr: ... im just one of those guys who takes high risks :smug2:

 

[Rampage]

When i was around 15 I used to have a 12v power supply and for some reason the top cover was missing. As it was stored on the floor (!) I needed something to cover the incoming side of the main switch. I used a sock.
One day I couldn't find a matching pair of socks, I had an odd one in the drawer and then noticed the matching one in the floor not remembering it was acting as an insulator in my PSU! That's probably the worst I've had.


I had one a couple of days ago, not sure exactly what I was touching, but my hand had just picked up a crocodile clip from a switch mode PSU that was turned off (the output) but also could have been the stainless steel sink unit. Loads of tests couldn't find anything wrong!
i also get muscle spasms in my hands so put it down to that in the end. I'll bond the sink just in case I think!

 

[dean.diy]

Malcolm, you last post reminded me the good intentions behind
H&S before the twerps in Brussels stopped kids playing conkers
etc etc.

 

[Fin170]

When I was young I plugged in a plug top with wires hanging out the bottom (guess father cut the lead off one then stored it like that), was blasted across the room but otherwise fine

I'd been sparking for about 2 years without a tingle then I started working with a friend and after about 2 hours I got a good one whilst cutting into a immersion circuit which he livened up after changing the fuse box

Worse one, was not very professional and embarrassing. Opened a old wylex fuse box and started on working out what the added circuits were, also under strict instructions to keep power on as long as possible for the wet room people. All going normally then went to pull out x fuse, x fuse didn't move and the entire thing came off the wall, catching it on the back of my hand