I'm developing an electricity phobia

[Nikia]

On Friday, I was electrically shocked for the fourth time since I have worked for my company. I was plugging in a scale. There was water everywhere and I was holding the metal railing of the platform with the other hand. I arm had the painful tingling feeling in it for a while. The first time, I did something rather stupid. The two other times were unplugging equipment with faulty plugs. in addition to the painful tingling feeling, my heart accelerates quite a bit when I've been shocked. Anyway, I don't want to get shocked again and am almost afraid to plug or unplug anything. Is such current usually enough to be truly harmful? If you walk away from the shock, are you probably alright?

[Bunny]

1. Holy shit!

Why don't you call OSHA immediately? There's a serious safety issue with your company. You should not be getting electrical shocks at work FOUR TIMES!!

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

3. OSHA hasn't had any teeth in years

Get some rubber-soled shoes (rain galoshes will do), and wear GOOD rubber gloves when touching wiring, plugs, etc. Don't be afraid to take precautions.

Yes, if you arc an electric current across your body (hand to hand, foot to hand, etc. through your upper body) if the current is great enough it can kill you.

Remember, it's not the voltage, it's the current! (Imagine a water pipe of fixed size-- the SIZE of the pipe is the voltage, but the water PRESSURE is the current. The more water pressure pushing through the same pipe, the harder it can hurt when it hits you. You can have a humonguous pipe with almost no pressure in it, or you can have a small pipe with tremendous pressure.)

[muriel_volestrangler]

5. I know what you're trying to say, but ...

... your analogy is the wrong way round. Electrical current is analogous to the water current - ie the amount of water coming through the pipe. Voltage is the equivalent of pressure. If a electrical circuit is not complete, there's no current at all, but there can be a high voltage - this is like a water pipe with the tap closed - there's not path for the water, so nothing flows, but there can be a large pressure difference.

[Olivier]

8. Before alerting OSHA...

Why not to ask your boss to renew the electric plugs & outlets ?

[oneighty]

2. Yes any

Electrical shock can be serious. Your increased HR is evidence. No one should be required to work under those conditions. Ground fault detectors should be installed in ANY wet environment. Report it.

180

PS never ground yourself with your free hand/arm. You are inviting a shock directly across you heart. That is bad news!

180

[Don_G]

4. OSHA Has The Last Word

All safety regulations that OSHA/MSA has on the books were literally written in blood with the lives of others that had similar problems before yours.

I know it's a pain in the a** for you and your employers to keep up with the changes and adhere to the rules 100% percent of the time. Anyone with knowledge and common sense can get away with it for a while.

BUT, if you don't fully understand electricity and you see a known hazard like worn insulation on a cord or a broken plug then PLEASE stay away from it and call your Supervisor to correct the problem before you or someone else gets hurt.

You look good because you noticed it and called for help and your Supervisor looks good because nobody got hurt on "his" shift and avoided down-time.

Believe me, even a live doorbell transformer can stop your heart under the right conditions; I've had to help pull an Electrician from a crawl space once for the Coroner.

[Downeast]

6. Water and electricity are a dangerous combo.

When there is water near an outlet that outlet should be attached to a ground-fault breaker.

[newyawker99]

7. Hi Downeast!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast: