Re: Electrical Safety

phaeton wrote:
Hello again from the dungeon...

As I start to get into building line-driven power supplies and such,
where should I start REALLY being careful? 40V? 60V? 110V? I realize
that current is what does the damage, but you don't have it without
voltage. (I also realize that other factors will factor).

What is the realistic neighborhood of where I shouldn't be grabbing
wires and/or switching out caps or resistors in a live circuit?

The physics and shop teacher in HS talked about 110 AC Line current
like it would knock you dead instantly. An electrician that was
installing a 208v-->480v step up transformer said "110 won't hurt you
at all. It's just enough to scare you a little bit".

I'm not about to strip a power cord and bite down on it, obviously,
but he's not the first to say 'I've been bit by 110 a bunch of times.
It's no big deal'..




Thoughts?


I was surprised by some of the answers given.

First off, disregard the notion that 120 volts can't kill you. The effect it has on you depends on many factors, such as whether the current passes through your chest (i.e., heart), and how much current passes through your body. The latter depends, for example, on whether you are an older tradesperson with calloused, dry fingers.

But if you have soft, moist fingers and contact high enough voltages (definitely less than 120 volts), you may easily pass enough current to kill. The point here is not that you need to measure your skin moisture, but rather that you need to have a good understanding of Ohm's law and why someone might escape direct "contact" with lethal voltages.

Statistics show that even among experienced industrial electricians, the greater cause of injury and death is the consequence of massive muscle contraction causing falls from ladders, or being thown violently into some deadly object.

I would try to learn a great deal more about the dangers of working with high voltages before attempting to do so. Do a Google search on some of these issues and consider soliciting opinions from the deceased to balance those available from the fortunate! ;-)

Chuck

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