The accidents related to electricity are the result of electrocution. Electrocution can result in: minor shocks, which can result in other accidents like falls; medium shocks, which can cause burns and even severe burns and major shocks which can result in death in the same way as in some American prisons.
The victim can receive an electric shock by coming into contact with a live wire or by the electricity from a live source arcing out - essentially finding earth through that person’s body. The majority of electric shocks are not serious and are over before you know that it has happened but they are scary afterwards.
A fall resulting from a mild electric shock probably has greater potential to be fatal than the shock itself. For example, if you were changing a light bulb from a chair and you reckoned that the power was off, yet it was not, you might receive a short sharp shock, and it could make you to fall off the ladder and break your neck.
On the other hand, high voltage electric shocks can result in burns deep in human tissue whilst leaving just minor signs of the injury on the outside. It is very important not to get complacent about electricity, because, like the open sea, it does not suffer fools gladly. Here are a couple of electrical safety tips to help keep you safe.
1] Always inspect power tools for damage and broken plugs or frayed cords before use. You may have damaged it last time you used it yet got away with it that time
2] If you are working in the same room as others, particularly on a building site, do not leave your leads running across the floor - try to tape them to a wall or a bench, because workers may step on them, run wheel barrows over them or spill water on them.
3] Always use the correct gauge cable and fuse for your apparatus.
4] If anything becomes warm while you are using it, be aware that it might be a sign of an approaching problem. Leave warm apparatus or sockets to cool down, if it occurs again, get them checked by an electrician. Do not over load electrical sockets.
5] Strive to use a dry wooden ladder if you are working near cables, because wood does not conduct electricity.
6] If you are using any apparatus that produces heat or strong light, do not direct it on anything that could catch fire.
7] Fit fast-reacting circuit breakers between your equipment and the source of electricity to minimize the shock that you might get. These devices detect a faulty earth and switch the appliance off in milliseconds.
If your appliance or electrical equipment has a button for testing the earth, use it every day and if you are going to work on a light socket, an electrical socket or the fuse box, test it first with one of those electrical screwdrivers with a small bulb in it. You poke it into the circuitry and the bulb lights up, you have just had a narrow escape. Be more careful next time!
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