Electrical Safety

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aaagmnr

Joined Nov 28, 2009
5
There have been numerous websites advocating the position that resistive skin protects against shock, but I think there may be a more negative effect of the (albeit weaker) current's tendency to pass through conductive internal organs—rather than the dermis—in such a case. Of course, insulating gear effectively prevents the wearer from completing a circuit; but if a suitable connection is already made with the bare body, much greater damage would result as the energy passes inside the victim. Therefore, shouldn't perspiration and hemorrhaging generally contribute to his personal survival?
 

beenthere

Joined Apr 20, 2004
15,819
The question -
but if a suitable connection is already made with the bare body, much greater damage would result as the energy passes inside the victim. Therefore, shouldn't perspiration and hemorrhaging generally contribute to his personal survival?
- places us into a sort of never-never land. Of course, by providing a path that keeps current from traversing internal organs, blood or sweat might make the difference between death or survival. And then we can go on for a very long time arguing the quantity of sweat or location of this and that to further enhance/endanger the person. That has nothing to do with safety.

So, rather than advocating that everybody do a good workout and so on before working on lice circuits, we think it is certainly much more intelligent to try to promote absolute safety. Treat all wiring as if it were carrying a lethal voltage until the actual state can be established.
 
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studiot

Joined Nov 9, 2007
4,998
working on lice circuits
Please pass this on to Loosewire for suitable comment.

Meanwhile to address the OP's question.

The whole issue seems to me like a children's discussion :-

Would you be better falling from the 17th or 18th floor?
Would you be better being run over by a Ferrari or a Mercedes?


Surely the important thing is to try to avoid the accident in the first place.
 

Thread Starter

aaagmnr

Joined Nov 28, 2009
5

beenthere

Joined Apr 20, 2004
15,819
if the prompt is so juvenile, why bother performing calculations and addressing it in the first place?
Indeed, why do you suppose that anyone has done so? Do you think that personal safety is enhanced by ensuring one is sweaty when do work around conductors?
 

BillB3857

Joined Feb 28, 2009
2,570
The closest I have been and the most fearful of actually having a fatal experience was with nothing more than 28 volts DC. And, I was wringing wet with sweat. Summer time, Midway Island. Replacing a transceiver in the cargo bay of one of the planes in my avitar. Laying full length on an aluminum crawl pan and my arm touched an uninsulated 28v DC bus. I felt every muscle in my body tense up. Had my palm touched instead of my arm, I may not have been here to write of this experience. It took great concentration to pull my arm away and I learned to better respect even so called low voltages. Sweat only makes the skin have better contact. Don't confuse this with the "skin effect" of Radio Frequencies.
 

studiot

Joined Nov 9, 2007
4,998
I find this whole thread bizarre.

Why can you not use the standard forum font which is much easier on the eye?

The three sentences you wrote in your first post make no sense whatsoever.

Should sweat and hemorraghing contribute to his personal survival?

Whose personal survival - a wearer of insulating gear or a person already has a suitable connection made to his bare body?

The sort of person I can think of who is sweating and hemorraghing and who is suitably connected would be one of Allende or Saddam's interrogation victims, although I can't see how the fluids would protect him?

If you have genuine safety advice please feel free to propound it, writ large. Such would be very welcome.
 

Thread Starter

aaagmnr

Joined Nov 28, 2009
5
I find this whole thread bizarre.
I prefer the term eccentric, as I am one.
Why can you not use the standard forum font which is much easier on the eye?
I have chosen the standard English font for aesthetic appeal, salience, and humor. (My avatar is the strained eye.) But, primarily, the size discrepancy is an innate product of a misconfigured scale used by the website. Also, I wish for only those concerned with what I'm writing to actually read it.
The three sentences you wrote in your first post make no sense whatsoever.
The opening passage's obfuscation is intended to discourage responses from those who have difficulty interpreting meaning, and thus those who are less likely to provide me with an answer.
Whose personal survival - a wearer of insulating gear or a person already has a suitable connection made to his bare body?
—the latter.
If you have genuine safety advice please feel free to propound it, writ large. Such would be very welcome.
I seek such advice.
 

beenthere

Joined Apr 20, 2004
15,819
I seek such advice.
I suspect you do not wish anything of the kind. Perspiration and electrical safety are not particularly related.

Rather than let this continue as a vehicle for nothing more than your personal eccentricities
The opening passage's obfuscation is intended to discourage responses from those who have difficulty interpreting meaning, and thus those who are less likely to provide me with an answer.
We will encourage you to be less so.

This is a public forum, intended to spread electronic knowledge as widely as may be. Catering to only one individual is not in that spirit.
 
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