Electric Shock Experience – Real Incident & Safety Lessons

Common Causes of Electric Shock

• Touching phase and neutral together

• Working without isolation

• Faulty tester

• Wet hands or body contact

• Poor attention (as happened in your story

HABITS ! If there are bad habits than there are good habits too.

Electrical safety Habits

“Back many years before, I met an electrician who always twist the live wire with bare hands, at that moment a red alarm always beep in my head. In fact ! people standing near by him always says, “Why he is not getting electrical shock?” “How it is possible?” Some of them says, “He is a BIJLI WALA nothing will happen to him, current don’t harm him”.

I always told him ‘do not do this; it is risky’. He always said to me, “nothing will happen until current finds the return path through the body”. 

 

Yeah, He is right. Nothing will happen until current finds a return path. That’s the reason birds sitting on high tension line can’t get electric shock. But if some how; current finds a path through the body. Body is going to be glow like a bulb, Vibrate like a statue & it pull the body towards itself like a magnet. I’m explaining this because I suffered Electric shock many times.

Next in this post, I will tell you one of my experience of Electrical shock That was the hardest shock I have ever get which I can not forget!

• A LED Flood light 100Watt outside the packing area is not working. Light was installed at first floor to lighten the road.
• I didn’t check the switch & directly climbed up the first floor with one of my colleague.
• I started removing the insulation tape on wire joints; first I remove the tape from black wire which is neutral (Imagined) & than red.
• While working I was talking to my colleague, My entire focus was; Gossip.
• To check the potential, I had a voltage tester. At that day, I had a voltage tester whose PVC body was yellow in color & light indicator was also yellow.
• At that time, I had a bad habit to work on wire with bare hands after testing that wire with my voltage tester.
• After removing the tape from neutral , I touched the wire with voltage tester, tester showed no indication means no potential.
• Than I grabbed the black neutral wire with bare finger tips. “no potential, it is neutral, it is safe”, I spoke to myself.
• Now, turn of second wire which was red means phase. I touched the bare conductor with voltage tester which showed No indication means NO potential. I concluded in my mind, “light’s switch is in OFF position.”
•  I was going to touch the red wire conductor with my bare hand. At that time, my one hand was already at neutral & now I was going to touch the phase wire. That was the big mistake!
• As soon as I touched the conductor, current starts flowing through my hands. It rapidly entering  through one hand & leaving through another hand.
• Both the conductors were pulling me towards itself. I was trying to escape by pulling myself back But I was helpless.
• In that mean time, my colleague was finding something to strike my hands but there was nothing on the roof.
• I don’t know from how much seconds it glowed me like a bulb. My hands & chest were vibrating like a cell phone. It pulling me, contracting me very hard.
• At that time, I was thinking “It is, It is my last time. I was helpless, thinking about MY MUMMY PAPA. Feeling sorry to them because i hadn’t return them what they are entitled of, the sacrifices they had done for me”. I was thinking than Suddenly, I escaped from it then fell on the ground & remained unconscious for minutes.
• When I awoke, I was feeling exhausted & the finger tips from both the hands got a burning scar. Full potential drop occurred on my both the hands but somehow I escaped. I think it was my parents blessings that saved me.

Safety Lessons from This Incident

Turn your experience into bullet points:

• Always check supply with reliable voltage meter/ tester

• Never touch wires with bare hands

• Always isolate power before work & adopt LOTO (lock out & tag out) procedure

• Avoid working while talking or distracted

• Use insulated gloves and shoes

What To Do If Someone Gets Electric Shock

Steps:

1. Switch OFF power immediately

2. Do not touch directly

3. Use dry wooden object

4. Call medical help

5. Check breathing

FAQs

Q1. Can a person survive electric shock?
Yes, if current duration and path are limited.

Q2. Why is electric shock dangerous?
It affects heart and muscles.

Q3. What should you do after electric shock?
Seek medical check even if symptoms are mild.

Q4. Which is more dangerous – AC or DC?
AC is more dangerous at low voltage due to muscle contraction.

Q5. How to avoid electric shock while working?
Isolate supply and use proper PPE.

Conclusion

One more important thing We observe that Single potential can’t do anything, Current only flows when there is potential difference.