5 ms·

Mr C's worst electric shock [video]

39 points by Rygian 3y ago

randombits0 3y ago
Them pixies are cute but don’t get them angry!
0xbadc0de5 3y ago
As someone who's also been bit by 120Vac early in my career - albeit less severely than Mr.C - I can attest to it feeling much like he describes. His description of feeling like he was "shoved out of his chair" is quite common. Most likely caused by the severe muscle spasms that can accompany such a shock. The cause of death for many electricians who get shocked isn't from the shock itself, but from head injuries associated with falling off ladders.
- tomcam 3y ago
  > The cause of death for many electricians who get shocked isn't from the shock itself, but from head injuries associated with falling off ladders. So why isn’t wearing insulated gloves universal? I assume it makes work much less comfortable?
  - quickthrowman 3y ago
    > So why isn’t wearing insulated gloves universal? I assume it makes work much less comfortable? The proper thing to do is de-energize the circuit/panelboard/switchgear/etc you’re working on and test to ensure it’s dead before any live conductors are exposed. Insulated gloves are not needed if you’re working on dead circuits. If you have no choice but to work on a live circuit, then you use properly rated insulated gloves. Insulated PPE and tools for low-voltage equipment are usually rated up to 1000v.
    - tomcam 3y ago
      Interesting. I had assumed electrical work would be closer to guns, where you pretty much assume the worst at all times.
      - quickthrowman 3y ago
        Just like with guns, you assume a circuit is energized until you prove it isn’t; similar to how you assume a gun is loaded until you prove it isn’t. If you’re certain a circuit is de-energized and you lock out the breaker or disconnecting means with a LOTO kit, it’s as safe as you can reasonably assume it to be, someone would need to cut off a lock with bolt cutters and turn the breaker or switch back on for the circuit to become re-energized.
- II2II 3y ago
  I used to call the Macintosh the user friendly computer that will kill you with a smile since the early models (the 128k, the 512k, and the Plus) had exposed power supplies once the case is open. Staying clear of the CRT is usually not an issue when turning on a machine while testing it, but your hand is within a centimeter of exposed AC mains power. Needless to say I did end up getting shocked a couple of times and the physical sensation is interesting. It really made me appreciate modular designs, where the power supply and CRT are completely fenced off in its own enclosure.
gwbas1c 3y ago
Ugh. I watch A LOT of YouTube. When it's just a video of someone talking and waving their hands, I move on. (As opposed to diagrams, different shots, close ups, ect.) Why? If it's just someone talking, that's better presented as a written blog entry. Written blog entries can be skimmed instead of focused on. A video like this needs close ups of the matter at hand, at a minimum. (IE, a close up of how the shock happened.) Diagrams, which could either be hand-drawn or "professional," are also nice too. I know that everyone has different production values on Youtube; but merely sitting on a stool for 13 minutes without any kind of demonstration is a poor use of the medium. Switch to a written blog in this case.
- genter 3y ago
  This is an unusual video of him. Most of them are closeups of him working on old radios, or at least some electrical device. The only thing you see are his hands, soldering iron, and oscilloscope. Also his tone in this video is very different from his normal professional self. It's very much laid back, "holy fuck this is how I almost died." I suppose you need to be a regular of his channel to appreciate this video. It's always neat to see people that have a professional persona are really just normal people.
- alliao 3y ago
  youtube have such a great pull for people like me where I somehow pick up a lot more from people talking than just reading. I find even how they deliver quite engaging
- masto 3y ago
  You’re allowed to move on quietly. A comment complaining about it is such a poor use of the medium. This needs to be a reaction video.
- kens 3y ago
  You can click on the three dots (at least in desktop YouTube) and then "Show Transcript", and then you have a transcript that you can skim.
- c7DJTLrn 3y ago
LeoPanthera 3y ago
Transcript: https://pastebin.com/v9TTLkYZ https://pastebin.com/v9TTLkYZ (No formatting as the video does not offer captions.)
- hattmall 3y ago
  thanks, that's a crazy read.
deleted 3y ago
[deleted]
Eduard 3y ago
My only close call involved a faulty washing machine (Bauknecht brand) together with an outdated, incorrecty landlord-renovated electricity cabling. When the washing machine short-circuited (metal housing, standing water in metallic tumbler...), the fuse did not cut off the residual current, which now ran from the washing machine along the water supply and therefore the metallic water tap. So suspecting nothing, as usual I wanted to cut off the water supply by closing the water tap valve. The moment I grap the valve I notice some stroboscopic vibrations, following the realization that it's an electric current making my hand cramp tightly on the water tap. It was really challenging to take off my hand. I'm sure it was only a small fraction of the full, possible current / energy that eventually went through my body / hand. But it was already enough to keep me stuck — and give my heart rate extra systolic beats. Living alone back then, I went on the street and called an ambulance. After half an hour, my heart rhythm normalized, and on my written confirmation, I left the hospital, as I would not able to sleep that night in an unknown hospital. After I left the hospital, I figured out at which hospital and part of town the ambulance car brought me. Having no cash with me, I walked the 45 minutes back home at night, rationalizing and taking it as a test for my heart. The next day, I went to work as usual. My colleagues asked me why I didn't take a day off. I let them know that if my heart started making weird beats again, I'd rather prefer to be with them than being home alone.
- tomcam 3y ago
  Bad day, amazing story, and I’m glad you survived to tell it!
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]
malkia 3y ago
My father (ex air defense, working around really high current - ~40,000 volts) taught me this from long time - when you are about to touch a cable always do it with the back of your fist, because due to electricity you may clench your fist, and if that cable was there you won't be able to release it.
- jaclaz 3y ago
  Not only, your arm also will retract this way, "automatically" breaking contact.
  - malkia 3y ago
    Good point on this too, he must've told me about it too. Now my son knows (from him again).
dtgriscom 3y ago
Back in the '80s I spent a summer working in a repair department for a group of Nuclear Medicine facilities. Once I was inside the cabinet of a gamma camera [0], installing a custom board. I had been careful enough to turn off the 240VAC power by throwing the unit's external breaker, but forgot that the breaker had internal terminals that were still at 240VAC. I brushed the back of my hand against the terminals, and zzznap! The current burned a path across the back of my hand. Luckily my bouncing around inside the cabinet didn't break anything. Took a few weeks to heal. [0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamma_camera https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamma_camera

39 points by Rygian 3y ago

Them pixies are cute but don’t get them angry!

As someone who's also been bit by 120Vac early in my career - albeit less severely than Mr.C - I can attest to it feeling much like he describes. His description of feeling like he was "shoved out of his chair" is quite common. Most likely caused by the severe muscle spasms that can accompany such a shock. The cause of death for many electricians who get shocked isn't from the shock itself, but from head injuries associated with falling off ladders.

tomcam 3y ago
> The cause of death for many electricians who get shocked isn't from the shock itself, but from head injuries associated with falling off ladders. So why isn’t wearing insulated gloves universal? I assume it makes work much less comfortable?
- quickthrowman 3y ago
  > So why isn’t wearing insulated gloves universal? I assume it makes work much less comfortable? The proper thing to do is de-energize the circuit/panelboard/switchgear/etc you’re working on and test to ensure it’s dead before any live conductors are exposed. Insulated gloves are not needed if you’re working on dead circuits. If you have no choice but to work on a live circuit, then you use properly rated insulated gloves. Insulated PPE and tools for low-voltage equipment are usually rated up to 1000v.
  - tomcam 3y ago
    Interesting. I had assumed electrical work would be closer to guns, where you pretty much assume the worst at all times.
    - quickthrowman 3y ago
      Just like with guns, you assume a circuit is energized until you prove it isn’t; similar to how you assume a gun is loaded until you prove it isn’t. If you’re certain a circuit is de-energized and you lock out the breaker or disconnecting means with a LOTO kit, it’s as safe as you can reasonably assume it to be, someone would need to cut off a lock with bolt cutters and turn the breaker or switch back on for the circuit to become re-energized.
II2II 3y ago
I used to call the Macintosh the user friendly computer that will kill you with a smile since the early models (the 128k, the 512k, and the Plus) had exposed power supplies once the case is open. Staying clear of the CRT is usually not an issue when turning on a machine while testing it, but your hand is within a centimeter of exposed AC mains power. Needless to say I did end up getting shocked a couple of times and the physical sensation is interesting. It really made me appreciate modular designs, where the power supply and CRT are completely fenced off in its own enclosure.

gwbas1c 3y ago

Ugh. I watch A LOT of YouTube. When it's just a video of someone talking and waving their hands, I move on. (As opposed to diagrams, different shots, close ups, ect.) Why? If it's just someone talking, that's better presented as a written blog entry. Written blog entries can be skimmed instead of focused on. A video like this needs close ups of the matter at hand, at a minimum. (IE, a close up of how the shock happened.) Diagrams, which could either be hand-drawn or "professional," are also nice too. I know that everyone has different production values on Youtube; but merely sitting on a stool for 13 minutes without any kind of demonstration is a poor use of the medium. Switch to a written blog in this case.

genter 3y ago
This is an unusual video of him. Most of them are closeups of him working on old radios, or at least some electrical device. The only thing you see are his hands, soldering iron, and oscilloscope. Also his tone in this video is very different from his normal professional self. It's very much laid back, "holy fuck this is how I almost died." I suppose you need to be a regular of his channel to appreciate this video. It's always neat to see people that have a professional persona are really just normal people.
alliao 3y ago
youtube have such a great pull for people like me where I somehow pick up a lot more from people talking than just reading. I find even how they deliver quite engaging
masto 3y ago
You’re allowed to move on quietly. A comment complaining about it is such a poor use of the medium. This needs to be a reaction video.
kens 3y ago
You can click on the three dots (at least in desktop YouTube) and then "Show Transcript", and then you have a transcript that you can skim.
c7DJTLrn 3y ago

LeoPanthera 3y ago

Transcript: https://pastebin.com/v9TTLkYZ https://pastebin.com/v9TTLkYZ (No formatting as the video does not offer captions.)

hattmall 3y ago
thanks, that's a crazy read.

deleted 3y ago

[deleted]

Eduard 3y ago

My only close call involved a faulty washing machine (Bauknecht brand) together with an outdated, incorrecty landlord-renovated electricity cabling. When the washing machine short-circuited (metal housing, standing water in metallic tumbler...), the fuse did not cut off the residual current, which now ran from the washing machine along the water supply and therefore the metallic water tap. So suspecting nothing, as usual I wanted to cut off the water supply by closing the water tap valve. The moment I grap the valve I notice some stroboscopic vibrations, following the realization that it's an electric current making my hand cramp tightly on the water tap. It was really challenging to take off my hand. I'm sure it was only a small fraction of the full, possible current / energy that eventually went through my body / hand. But it was already enough to keep me stuck — and give my heart rate extra systolic beats. Living alone back then, I went on the street and called an ambulance. After half an hour, my heart rhythm normalized, and on my written confirmation, I left the hospital, as I would not able to sleep that night in an unknown hospital. After I left the hospital, I figured out at which hospital and part of town the ambulance car brought me. Having no cash with me, I walked the 45 minutes back home at night, rationalizing and taking it as a test for my heart. The next day, I went to work as usual. My colleagues asked me why I didn't take a day off. I let them know that if my heart started making weird beats again, I'd rather prefer to be with them than being home alone.

tomcam 3y ago
Bad day, amazing story, and I’m glad you survived to tell it!
deleted 3y ago
[deleted]

malkia 3y ago

My father (ex air defense, working around really high current - ~40,000 volts) taught me this from long time - when you are about to touch a cable always do it with the back of your fist, because due to electricity you may clench your fist, and if that cable was there you won't be able to release it.

jaclaz 3y ago
Not only, your arm also will retract this way, "automatically" breaking contact.
- malkia 3y ago
  Good point on this too, he must've told me about it too. Now my son knows (from him again).

dtgriscom 3y ago

Back in the '80s I spent a summer working in a repair department for a group of Nuclear Medicine facilities. Once I was inside the cabinet of a gamma camera [0], installing a custom board. I had been careful enough to turn off the 240VAC power by throwing the unit's external breaker, but forgot that the breaker had internal terminals that were still at 240VAC. I brushed the back of my hand against the terminals, and zzznap! The current burned a path across the back of my hand. Luckily my bouncing around inside the cabinet didn't break anything. Took a few weeks to heal. [0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamma_camera https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamma_camera