Being an electrician can be dangerous at times. It is important to know how to avoid getting electrocuted or shocked while handling electricity. Safety should be the number one priority.
Our bodies are extremely delicate. Any kind of electrical shock,
even a low-voltage, can be extremely dangerous. A low-voltage shock has the potential to be fatal. Any type of electricity is dangerous and this includes wall sockets and electronics. An electrician knows that there are dangers associated with performing wiring and other electrical repairs.
So how does an electrical current affect the body of an electrician? Think of our bodies as being a large resistor. There are some conditions that can lower that resistance. When resistance decreases, it also lowers the amount of volts needed to cause harm to your body. These conditions can be things, such as working with electrical gadgets when your hands are sweaty or changing the battery in your car when it is raining outside. These two scenarios can potentially be fatal.
There are two types of electrical currents: AC or alternating current and DC or direct current. An example of AC would be your wall outlets and an example of DC would be your car battery. Each type of current affects you in various ways.
AC voltage normally travels in a reverse direction. What this does is change the pattern in which your heart normally beats. This can cause your heart muscles to malfunction and that, in turn, causes the blood to stop pumping.
DC voltage is constantly flowing. This type of current causes your muscles to tighten up, including the heart muscle. If you touch any kind of electronics with DC voltage, your hands may tighten up so you are not able to release the mechanism. If the current is cut off quickly, your heart may respond and start beating again. If the current is not cut off, your heart may stop beating altogether.
Using some common sense can help you avoid being electrocuted. The most obvious thing that you need to do is to avoid water when working with electricity. Water and electricity do not mix and can be fatal. It is not only rain that can be dangerous either. It could be something as simple as working on your car in the garage with a small puddle of water on the floor or even the floor being damp.
Metal is a conductor of electricity, so wearing jewelry around electricity is not a good idea. For instance, if you are wearing a ring, there is a chance it could get caught on something and it could take your finger off, depending on the mechanism. The same holds true for bracelets and necklaces.
A trick that is use by a skilled electrician is that they keep their left hand in their pocket when dealing with electricity. This way if an electrical zap happens, it will travel down the right-hand down to the ground. If their left hand was not in their pocket, it would travel from hand-to-hand, passing right through the heart. The best way to avoid an electrocution is to never go near live wire.
Before touching anything electric, have a multimeter handy and test the circuit. If someone informs you that the power is off, do not take his or her word for it, check for yourself. It would not hurt to double-check, as well.
