4 ms·

This reminds me of an incident report I saw back when I used to work in a warehouse. A forklift driver raised the boom too far, and smashed it into a high power

This reminds me of an incident report I saw back when I used to work in a warehouse. A forklift driver raised the boom too far, and smashed it into a high power lamp. He immediately let go of the controls, and decided to get away from the forklift, rather than lower the boom, concerned that the metal levers might electrocute him. As soon as he stepped on the ground, he completed the circuit that was preciously blocked by the rubber tires, and paralyzed himself from the waist down. The report recommended jumping clear, and then using this hopping escape strategy. It did not recommend or countermand moving the vehicle to break a potential circuit; I guess that situation is too complicated for a blanket policy.

zkms 9y ago
> and decided to get away from the forklift If you're not currently being electrocuted and there's no imminent risk of the situation worsening (or high voltage wires moving) there's little need to put yourself at risk by moving. There's no guarantee that jumping clear/hopping will be safe -- electrical potentials can't be visualised with the naked eye. Even if the power line is touching the ground, the ground isn't perfect and there's still a gradient: https://ehss.energy.gov/sesa/Files/corporatesafety/advisory/SA_2010_05.pdf https://ehss.energy.gov/sesa/Files/corporatesafety/advisory/... , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth_potential_rise https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth_potential_rise Stay put, call for help, tell people not to get close to the vehicle or the high voltage conductors, and wait until someone de-energises the offending high voltage circuits. https://www.osha.gov/OshDoc/data_General_Facts/downed_electrical_wires.pdf https://www.osha.gov/OshDoc/data_General_Facts/downed_electr...