Hazards of Electricity

Electrical Hazards Include

Electrical Shock
Electrical Explosions
Electrical Burns

These can result in severe injury

or death

Electrical Injuries
There are four main types of electrical
injuries:
Direct:
Electrocution

or death due to electrical

shock
Electrical shock
Burns

Indirect - Falls

Electrical Shock
An electrical shock is received when electrical
current passes through the body.
You will get an electrical shock if a part of your
body completes an electrical circuit by

Touching a live wire and an electrical

ground, or
Touching a live wire and another wire at a
different voltage.

electricity requires a complete path (circuit) to

continuously flow

Without two contact points on the body for current to enter and exit, respectively, there
is no hazard of shock. This is why birds can safely rest on high-voltage power lines
without getting shocked: they make contact with the circuit at only one point.

Shock Severity

Severity of the shock depends

on:
Path of current through the body
Amount of current flowing
through the body (amps)
Duration of the shocking current
through the body,

LOW VOLTAGE DOES NOT

MEAN LOW HAZARD

Dangers of Electrical
Shock
Currents above 10 mA* can
paralyze or freeze muscles.
Currents more than 75 mA
can cause a rapid, ineffective
heartbeat -- death will occur
in a few minutes unless a
defibrillator is used
75 mA is not much current
a small power drill uses 30
times as much

Defibrillator in use

* mA = milliampere = 1/1,000 of an ampere

How Shock Occurs

The severity of the shock received when a person
becomes a part of an electric circuit is affected by
three primary factors:
The amount of current flowing through the
body (measured in amperes)
The path of the current through the body
The length of time the body is in the circuit.
Other factors that may affect the severity of shock are
the:
Frequency of the current;
Phase of the heart cycle when shock occurs
General health of the person.

Shock & the Human

Body
The effects of electric shock depend upon the
type
of circuit, its voltage, resistance,
current, pathway through the body, and
duration of the contact.

Effects can range from a barely perceptible

tingle
to immediate cardiac arrest.
There are no absolute limits or even known
values
that show the exact injury from any
given current.

Shock & the Human

Body
A difference of less than 100 milliamperes
exists
between a current that is barely

perceptible and
one that can kill.
Muscular contraction caused by
stimulation may not allow the victim to
free himself or herself from the circuit,
and the increased duration of exposure
increases the dangers to the shock victim.
For example, a current of 100 milliamperes
for 3 seconds is equivalent to a current of
900 milliamperes applied for .03 seconds in
causing ventricular fibrillation.

Shock & the Human

Body
The so-called low voltages can be
extremely
dangerous because, all

other factors being equal, the degree

of injury is
proportional to the length of time the
body is in the circuit.
LOW VOLTAGE DOES NOT IMPLY
LOW HAZARD!

Shock & the Human

Body

A severe shock can cause considerably

more
damage to the body than is

visible.
For example, a person may suffer internal
hemorrhages and destruction of
tissues, nerves, and muscles.
In addition, shock is often only the
beginning in a chain of events.
The final injury may well be from a fall,
cuts, burns, or broken bones.

Shock & the Human

Body

Current / Reaction:

/ Perception level. Just a faint tingle.

15 Milliampere
Milliamperes / Slight shock felt; not painful but disturbing.
Average
can let go. However, strong involuntary reactions
to shocksindividual
in this range can lead to injuries.
Milliamperes (women) / Painful shock, muscular control is lost.
6-25
Milliamperes (men) / This is called the freezing current or "let 9-30
go" range.
Milliamperes / Extreme pain, respiratory arrest, severe
50-150
muscular contractions.*

Individual cannot let go. Death is possible.

1,000-4,300 Milliamperes Ventricular fibrillation. (The rhythmic
pumping action of the heart ceases.) Muscular contraction and nerve
damage occur. Death is most likely.
10,000-Milliamperes Cardiac arrest, severe burns and probable
death.

Shock & the Human

Body

BODILY EFFECT
DIRECT CURRENT (DC)
60 Hz AC
10 kHz AC
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Slight sensation
Men =1.0 mA
0.4 mA
7 mA
felt at hand(s)
Women = 0.6 mA 0.3 mA
5 mA
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Threshold of
Men = 5.2 mA
1.1 mA
12 mA
perception
Women = 3.5 mA 0.7 mA
8 mA
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Painful, but
Men = 62 mA
9 mA
55 mA
voluntary muscle Women = 41 mA
6 mA
37 mA
control maintained
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Painful, unable
Men = 76 mA
16 mA
75 mA
to let go of wires
Women = 51 mA
10.5 mA 50 mA
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Severe pain,
Men = 90 mA
23 mA
94 mA
difficulty Women = 60 mA
15 mA
63 mA
breathing
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Possible heart
Men = 500 mA
100 mA
fibrillation
Women = 500 mA 100 mA
after 3 seconds
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Current that flow through a body depends on the

resistance of the human body.

The skin consist of two layers. The outer one,

composed of dead, scaly cells, has a high resistance
when dry, it has an electrical resistance of 100.000
to 600.000 ohm depending of its thickness .

Internal body resistant is comparatively low,

averaging 300 ohms (with a maximum of 500 ohms)
for current flow from head to foot.This lower
resistance results from the body fluids present,
which make it moist and conductive.

Average body resistance may be 500 ohm or

less.This is due to a fact that current then pass to
the inner skin layer, wich has less resistance

(another reference)
Average Body Resistance : 1000
distribution :
80
460

460
125

125

15

840

840

Rubber-soled shoes do indeed provide some electrical

insulation to help protect someone from conducting shock
current through their feet. However, most common shoe
designs are not intended to be electrically "safe," their soles
being too thin and not of the right substance. Also, any
moisture, dirt, or conductive salts from body sweat on the
surface of or permeated through the soles of shoes will
compromise what little insulating value the shoe had to begin
with. There are shoes specifically made for dangerous
electrical work, as well as thick rubber mats made to
stand on while working on live circuits , but these special
pieces of gear must be in absolutely clean, dry condition in
order to be effective. Suffice it to say, normal footwear is not
enough to guarantee protection against electric shock from a
power system.
Research conducted on contact resistance between parts of the
human body and points of contact (such as the ground) shows a
wide range of figures (see end of chapter for information on the
source of this data):

Hand or foot contact, insulated with rubber: 20 M typical.

Foot contact through leather shoe sole (dry): 100 k to 500 k
Foot contact through leather shoe sole (wet): 5 k to 20 k

As you can see, not only is rubber a far better insulating

material than leather, but the presence of water in a porous

Burns

Most common shockrelated injury

Occurs when you touch
electrical wiring or
equipment that is
improperly used or
maintained
Typically occurs on hands
Very serious injury that
needs immediate attention

Burns & Other Injuries

The most common shock-related injury
is a burn. Burns suffered in
electrical accidents may be of three
types:
Electrical
Arc
Thermal contact

Burns & Other Injuries

Electrical burns are the result of the

electric current flowing through tissues
or bone.
Tissue damage is caused by the heat
generated by the current flow through
the body.
Electrical burns are one of the most
serious injuries you can receive and
should be given immediate attention.

Burns & Other Injuries

Arc or flash burns, on the other

hand, are the result of high
temperatures near the body and are
produced by an electric arc or
explosion.
They should also be attended to
promptly.

Burns & Other Injuries

Finally, thermal contact burns are

those normally experienced when the
skin comes in contact with hot
surfaces of overheated electric
conductors, conduits, or other
energized equipment.
Additionally, clothing may be ignited
in an electrical accident and a thermal
burn will result.
All three types of burns may be
produced simultaneously.

Burns & Other Injuries

In addition to shock and burn hazards,

electricity poses other dangers.
For example, when a short circuit occurs,
hazards are created from the resulting arcs.
If high current is involved, these arcs can cause
injury or start a fire.
Extremely high-energy arcs can damage
equipment, causing fragmented metal to fly
in all directions.
Even low-energy arcs can cause violent
explosions in atmospheres that contain
flammable gases, vapors, or combustible dusts.

Falls

Electric shock can

also cause indirect
injuries

Workers in elevated
locations who
experience a shock
may fall, resulting in
serious injury or
death