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ArcticMyst Security by Avery

Crappy way to start a new year

D

digital_blue

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On new years day, I was doing some electrical work on 220VAC when I got caught between the phases. To say the least, I woke up in the hospital 3 hours later(surprisingly comfortable) and I'm told that I had been asystole(heart stoppage/flatline) for almost 3 minutes. According to the doc, I should consider myself extremely lucky since the survival rate is less than 5%.

So, let this be a reminder to all of you HV DIYers. I for one, will start doing the "one hand in the back pocket" thing.

Apart from the "near death" encounter, the hospital stay wasn't all bad; the bed was comfy and the food wasn't too bad. Then again, there are more ideal ways to get in the ER.;)
 
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daguin

daguin

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COOL!

The rest of your life is all bonus time now :san:

Welcome back

Peace,
dave
 
Flaminpyro

Flaminpyro

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Glad your still with us :) yea it might be time to do the one hand thing, I have trouble doing it myself it's just too easy to forget untill I here a story like this one. +1 for you for reminding me !

Flaminpyro...
 
charliebruce

charliebruce

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silvercookie said:
lucky man.

and what is the back pocket thing" thing?
Click to expand...

One hand stays in your back pocket, only one hand works on the circuit at a time, therefore, presuming your shoes are insulating enough, the most damage you can do is have current flow through one hand. If you do this, your heart is much less likely to have current through it, so far less risk of a fatal shock.

http://www.kostic.niu.edu/LabSafetyRules.html said:
When you are adjusting any high voltage equipment or a laser which is powered with a high voltage supply, USE ONLY ONE HAND. Your other hand is best placed in a pocket or behind your back. This procedure eliminates the possibility of an accident where high voltage current flows up one arm, through your chest, and down the other arm.
Click to expand...
 
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MarioMaster

MarioMaster

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silvercookie said:
lucky man.

and what is the back pocket thing" thing?
Click to expand...

Keeping one of your hands in your back pocket so if you do get caught on some electrical wires, there won't be a path for electrons to travel across the heart

edit- bah, beaten by charlie


Anyways, glad to hear you're still with us
 
silvercookie

silvercookie

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i see, im assuming the left hand should be put in a pocket because it is closer to the heart?

good to know.

and if you dont mind me asking, what were installing or fixing?
a 1.211 gigawaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat laser? haha
 
HumanSymphony

HumanSymphony

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That is some badassery I say! You are now superhuman! What doesn't kill digital_blue makes him half epic, half man am i right? :D
 
SMIDSY

SMIDSY

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wow that makes me really rethink my crappy new year.

I have experienced a sever electrical shock but never flatlined. It felt like being kicked in the chest with a rugby boot....

Glad to have you still here... Please dont do it again lol.
 
Nefarious

Nefarious

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Welcome back!!! You're extremely lucky to be alright! and I do believe you now are superhuman!

Maybe you can speak to the dead :thinking:
 
iskor12

iskor12

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Glad to hear that your ok. Electricity is nothing to play around with. It is very dangerous. Never let your guard down.
Did you get any burns from it?

My father works for the power company and he had a transformer blow up on him.
He was working at a corectional Center(Jail) replacing some transformers. His coworker told him that the power was cut, but obviously it wasn't. 250,000Volts in one hand and out the other. From the stories that I have heard, he was one huge fire ball. His clothes and metal watch burned/melted off of him. The only thing that saved his life, was a man who was an inmate, ran and tackled him out of it. He had 1st, 2nd, and 3rd degree burns all over his body. He was in criticle condition for about a week and stay in the hospital for a little over a month. Yes, my father is still around today, and still working for the power company. :)
 
jander6442

jander6442

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iskor12 said:
Glad to hear that your ok. Electricity is nothing to play around with. It is very dangerous. Never let your guard down.
Did you get any burns from it?

My father works for the power company and he had a transformer blow up on him.
He was working at a corectional Center(Jail) replacing some transformers. His coworker told him that the power was cut, but obviously it wasn't. 250,000Volts in one hand and out the other. From the stories that I have heard, he was one huge fire ball. His clothes and metal watch burned/melted off of him. The only thing that saved his life, was a man who was an inmate, ran and tackled him out of it. He had 1st, 2nd, and 3rd degree burns all over his body. He was in criticle condition for about a week and stay in the hospital for a little over a month. Yes, my father is still around today, and still working for the power company. :)
Click to expand...

I've noticed that the group of people that work with and around High Power Electricity are most always in a class all their own...:bowdown::wave: in any event I'm glad that he survived. Just shows how tuff the ol' man is.:)

He knows Wattz up!:crackup::crackup::crackup:J/k
 
Flaminpyro

Flaminpyro

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If your right handed you put your left hand in your pocket, swap that if your left handed.

silvercookie said:
i see, im assuming the left hand should be put in a pocket because it is closer to the heart?

good to know.

and if you dont mind me asking, what were installing or fixing?
a 1.211 gigawaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat laser? haha
Click to expand...
 
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