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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 descriptio

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.

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.