Near death electric shock

[Dustydazzler]

As a young 18 year apprentice I was told to test L-N N-E E-L

I know it seems silly but it was one of the first things I was shown and stuck with me forever

That said I have had 2 or 3 shocks but thankfully live to tell the tail

We all live and learn in this job ( well nearly always )

 

[James]

@ETradesmen
Well done for sharing your experience with others.
It is quite possible that by doing this, you have saved someone's life at some point in the future Simpley because of what they have read here.
Although it is never a great day when you are able to write a story that is titled "I Fooked up today"
It takes a strong person to realise there mistake and share it with others.

Many of us have made mistakes in our time, some serious, some funny, some just lucky to have survived.
when I say "many of us" it should probably read MOST OF US.

Thank you for sharing with us.

for the younger or more recently qualified this is a lesson that should be teaching you not to be a cocky know it all.

for the old timers, the lesson teaches us that even though we have worked with electricity for a long time, it can still bite the unwary and do not be complacent, just because the tester has worked flawlessly for the last 20 years, it doesn't mean it is telling the truth today!!

 

[happysteve]

Glad you're OK, OP, and definitely done the right thing getting yourself checked out medically.

Since we're sharing....

Not a shock, but blew a hole in my lovely Knipex installation pliers (the ones with shears, strippers etc).
Replacing an under-cabinet light in a kitchen. Old light wired in directly at the lamp end using 3-core flex, fed from a local 3A SFCU on the socket RFC. Switched off the SFCU, light went off. Checked on/off. All good. Removed the fuse, just to make sure. New-ish SFCU, so double pole.

Chopped the flex - to terminate it in a small JB under the cabinet, for the new cable for the new light - and bang, flash, broken pliers.

After isolating the circuit, I had a look in the SFCU to see what could have caused this. The design of the plate was such that the load and feed L terminals were next to each other... the outgoing flex L (no ferrules) had about 2cm stripped, and was all jammed in the terminal. Somehow it had managed to connect internally to the feed L, bypassing both the switch and the fuse. The light went out when I flicked the switch because it was switching off the N.

A volt-free tester would have saved my pliers, and my embarrassment.

 

[ETradesmen]

Back on the job this morning.

Here is a picture of the consumer unit. First MCB was the culprit.

There is the original RCD sitting on top of the consumer unit, I wonder why it’s been taken out!

Also added a photo of the damage to my hand from the live conductor.

All the best,

2385010-F-57-E0-4823-ADDC-6077-F08-F22-DB hosted at ImgBB

Image 2385010-F-57-E0-4823-ADDC-6077-F08-F22-DB hosted in ImgBB

ibb.co

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Image 869-D3-A6-E-C64-F-4-E2-C-AD5-D-848-CC2-A5-A90-C hosted in ImgBB

ibb.co

 

[DPG]

Back on the job this morning.

Here is a picture of the consumer unit. First MCB was the culprit.

There is the original RCD sitting on top of the consumer unit, I wonder why it’s been taken out!

Also added a photo of the damage to my hand from the live conductor.

All the best,

2385010-F-57-E0-4823-ADDC-6077-F08-F22-DB hosted at ImgBB

Image 2385010-F-57-E0-4823-ADDC-6077-F08-F22-DB hosted in ImgBB

ibb.co

869-D3-A6-E-C64-F-4-E2-C-AD5-D-848-CC2-A5-A90-C hosted at ImgBB

Image 869-D3-A6-E-C64-F-4-E2-C-AD5-D-848-CC2-A5-A90-C hosted in ImgBB

ibb.co

I bet that hurts. Thanks for telling your story - it's a good reminder for people to never be complacent, which we all can be.

 

[Midwest]

Think all electricians will/have received a belt in their time. Doesn't matter how many time you read something like this, and are told to L-N N-E E-L etc etc, we are human and prone to mistakes. @ETradesmen, quick thinking about jumping, probably saved your life.