Reading the the thread about How RCDs Work and the comment by Trailer Boy about the effects of shock currents reminded me of an electric shock I got a number of years ago.
I was working for a electical contactor in Glasgow many years ago and he used to do a lot of the work for some of the main shops in the town centre. It was a large well known shop in the town center and I was there doing some installation work with an apprentice.
One of lights near the stairs was not working. It was quite a high ceiling so I was up a large pair of metal steps. It was an Edision Screw metal downlighter set into the ceiling. So the first thing I did was check that the lamp was screwed in properly. The casing was live. I got the most god awful shock. I know I let out a loud scream My muscles must have contracted on to it in some way. I was on it for a few seconds and could not get away. It was without doubt the most painful thing I have ever felt in my life. I thought that my whole arm was being wrenched from its socket. Eventually I must have blacked out with the pain and fell away from it. Luckily I fell against the wall. When I looked down I could see the apprentice sitting on the stairs near by with his jaw dropped open.
That happened about 10 O'clock in the morning. I remember that is was a Friday. I carried on with my work as you do and went back to the office around 5 O'clock to collect my wages. When I walked in my boss looked at me and said "What the Fk happened to you". I said I got a shock so what. He said go and look in the mirror. When I looked in the mirror I could not believe what I saw. There was not a drop of colour in my face. I was whiter than Casper the Friendly Ghost and that was about 7 hours after the event. Even now 25 years after the event I can still remember the pain and when I remember the story such as now my right arm remembers it and want to give itself a little shrug.
I believe in absolute safety when it comes to electricity. If you do not know what you are doing then get somebody who does. And if you do know what you are doing then do it right. And test it properly when you are finished!!!
I was working for a electical contactor in Glasgow many years ago and he used to do a lot of the work for some of the main shops in the town centre. It was a large well known shop in the town center and I was there doing some installation work with an apprentice.
One of lights near the stairs was not working. It was quite a high ceiling so I was up a large pair of metal steps. It was an Edision Screw metal downlighter set into the ceiling. So the first thing I did was check that the lamp was screwed in properly. The casing was live. I got the most god awful shock. I know I let out a loud scream My muscles must have contracted on to it in some way. I was on it for a few seconds and could not get away. It was without doubt the most painful thing I have ever felt in my life. I thought that my whole arm was being wrenched from its socket. Eventually I must have blacked out with the pain and fell away from it. Luckily I fell against the wall. When I looked down I could see the apprentice sitting on the stairs near by with his jaw dropped open.
That happened about 10 O'clock in the morning. I remember that is was a Friday. I carried on with my work as you do and went back to the office around 5 O'clock to collect my wages. When I walked in my boss looked at me and said "What the Fk happened to you". I said I got a shock so what. He said go and look in the mirror. When I looked in the mirror I could not believe what I saw. There was not a drop of colour in my face. I was whiter than Casper the Friendly Ghost and that was about 7 hours after the event. Even now 25 years after the event I can still remember the pain and when I remember the story such as now my right arm remembers it and want to give itself a little shrug.
I believe in absolute safety when it comes to electricity. If you do not know what you are doing then get somebody who does. And if you do know what you are doing then do it right. And test it properly when you are finished!!!