Paul Burridge wrote:

The question seems daft, but bear with me, gentlemen. Has anyone ever
had an electric shock that they feel lucky to have survived?

p.
--

"I believe history will be kind to me, since I intend
to write it." - Winston Churchill

Nothing like that, yet.

Rewired some factory emergency lights and replaced several more, one leg
of a 480V circuit, live. Work careful and no problems.

Removing a high-pressure bulb from a high-voltage circuit, glass
envelope broke in my hand while trying to unscrew it, didn't know I
could move that fast.

Rewiring a conveyor, co-worker said the power was off, sparks flew when
I cut the cable. I just stared at the remains of my pliers and then at
him. ONE HAND in contact with the work, nothing else, work on insulated
surface, heavy rubber sole boots, and anything else I can think of.

Worked at one plant that had had a color blind electrician, that really
taught me caution, never knew what color wired carried what voltage.

"Bob Yates" wrote in message
...


Rewiring a conveyor, co-worker said the power was off, sparks flew when
I cut the cable. I just stared at the remains of my pliers and then at
him. ONE HAND in contact with the work, nothing else, work on insulated
surface, heavy rubber sole boots, and anything else I can think of.


I worked college summers as an electrician. Cut a live lamp circuit with my
brand new pliers, leaving a 14-ga notch.

Years later, I saw "my" pliers in the lab tech's toolbox. He said he had
done the same thing a few years back. I didn't really believe they were his
until I found my old pliers in the bottom of my garage toolkit.

"Bob Yates" wrote in message
...


Rewiring a conveyor, co-worker said the power was off, sparks flew when
I cut the cable. I just stared at the remains of my pliers and then at
him. ONE HAND in contact with the work, nothing else, work on insulated
surface, heavy rubber sole boots, and anything else I can think of.


I worked college summers as an electrician. Cut a live lamp circuit with my
brand new pliers, leaving a 14-ga notch.

Years later, I saw "my" pliers in the lab tech's toolbox. He said he had
done the same thing a few years back. I didn't really believe they were his
until I found my old pliers in the bottom of my garage toolkit.

Chris1 wrote:

In article , "Michael A. Terrell" wrote:

I find that very interesting, since every chocolate bar I have ever
had was wrapped in aluminum foil.

I always thought it was just shiny paper. There's not much Aluminum there,
if any.

Chris

A very thin aluminum foil, with a paper backing. Use an Ohm meter on
a piece to see that it is conductive.
--


Its August 5, 2003, so I'm 51 today!
Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida

Chris1 wrote:

In article , "Michael A. Terrell" wrote:

I find that very interesting, since every chocolate bar I have ever
had was wrapped in aluminum foil.

I always thought it was just shiny paper. There's not much Aluminum there,
if any.

Chris

A very thin aluminum foil, with a paper backing. Use an Ohm meter on
a piece to see that it is conductive.
--


Its August 5, 2003, so I'm 51 today!
Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida

Eric in the Evening wrote:
Hey Charles,

When I was a "frameman" (oops, make that "frame attendant") in the Alameda
Central Office, had exactly the same type of "shock". Air conditioning had
broken, we were in t-shirts, about 90+ degrees in the CO on a summers day
and sweating. Reaching through the frame from the equipment side hit someone
who was ringing and became a human bell clapper for about 20-30 seconds. All
this at the top of a rolling ladder. My fellow employees and myself got a
laugh out of it (me later). Actually happened a few times over my 27 year
career. At least I'm not unique in that sense. Thanks for sharing......
Eric KA6USJ



Eric,
In my days as a Frame Ape, I got across one of the Darned Gov't special
circuits that had a lot more than ring voltage on it. Only once though,
I can still remember the special warning tags they hadon the lines at
all the blocks, and like you Iwas at the top of the ladder when it
happened. And oh yes I also got bit by ring more than once. Remember the
way we found shorts?
Bill Higdon

Eric in the Evening wrote:
Hey Charles,

When I was a "frameman" (oops, make that "frame attendant") in the Alameda
Central Office, had exactly the same type of "shock". Air conditioning had
broken, we were in t-shirts, about 90+ degrees in the CO on a summers day
and sweating. Reaching through the frame from the equipment side hit someone
who was ringing and became a human bell clapper for about 20-30 seconds. All
this at the top of a rolling ladder. My fellow employees and myself got a
laugh out of it (me later). Actually happened a few times over my 27 year
career. At least I'm not unique in that sense. Thanks for sharing......
Eric KA6USJ



Eric,
In my days as a Frame Ape, I got across one of the Darned Gov't special
circuits that had a lot more than ring voltage on it. Only once though,
I can still remember the special warning tags they hadon the lines at
all the blocks, and like you Iwas at the top of the ladder when it
happened. And oh yes I also got bit by ring more than once. Remember the
way we found shorts?
Bill Higdon

Paul Burridge wrote:
Ground Fault Circuit Interruptor.

How splendid! We call them Residual Current Circuit Breakers in
England.

That may not be an accurate translation. As I understand it, the GFCI
requires a ground connection in order to operate, while the RCB does
not.

The RCB functions on the difference between the outgoing 'live' current
and the return current in the neutral. In the British house wiring
system, those two currents should be *exactly* equal, and the difference
(the 'residual current') should be zero. Any difference at all means
something's wrong - ping - you're disconnected.

A typical household RCB will trip on a 60 or 100mA difference in supply
current surges up to 60A. That's pretty good common-mode rejection!

RCDs can also be cascaded, so an even more sensitive RCD can be used to
protect an outdoor mains socket or a workbench.

We used to have something like GFCIs over here, but changed to RCDs
because RCDs still work if the entire house ground connection has
failed.


--
73 from Ian G3SEK 'In Practice' columnist for RadCom (RSGB)
Editor, 'The VHF/UHF DX Book'
http://www.ifwtech.co.uk/g3sek

Paul Burridge wrote:
Ground Fault Circuit Interruptor.

How splendid! We call them Residual Current Circuit Breakers in
England.

That may not be an accurate translation. As I understand it, the GFCI
requires a ground connection in order to operate, while the RCB does
not.

The RCB functions on the difference between the outgoing 'live' current
and the return current in the neutral. In the British house wiring
system, those two currents should be *exactly* equal, and the difference
(the 'residual current') should be zero. Any difference at all means
something's wrong - ping - you're disconnected.

A typical household RCB will trip on a 60 or 100mA difference in supply
current surges up to 60A. That's pretty good common-mode rejection!

RCDs can also be cascaded, so an even more sensitive RCD can be used to
protect an outdoor mains socket or a workbench.

We used to have something like GFCIs over here, but changed to RCDs
because RCDs still work if the entire house ground connection has
failed.


--
73 from Ian G3SEK 'In Practice' columnist for RadCom (RSGB)
Editor, 'The VHF/UHF DX Book'
http://www.ifwtech.co.uk/g3sek

On Thu, 07 Aug 2003 11:29:46 +0100, Paul Burridge
wrote:


The question seems daft, but bear with me, gentlemen. Has anyone ever
had an electric shock that they feel lucky to have survived?

p.

This guy did believe it or not.

http://www.electrical-contractor.net/electrocution.htm

--

Regards,

Boris Mohar

Got Knock? - see:
Viatrack Printed Circuit Designs http://www3.sympatico.ca/borism/
Aurora, Ontario