I have a 14 year old son and I think sparky is a great profession. But am a bit worry about electric shocks, I am sure an electrician will have few of these during their career. Will there be major health problem consequence. I was told the shocks will stuff up the heart rhythm a bit. Or is it easily avoidable if one wears rubber boots at all time.
The number of electric shocks experienced by sparkies is minimal (probably only a few more than anyone else working around the home) – sparkies have a greater awareness from a safety aspect, know what to avoid and the procedures to take to ensure a safe workplace. That said, it is generally the apprentice who gets stung through inexperience. Work cover could help you out with stats or long term health effects.
Try to get into an apprenticeship with a larger electrical company eg commercial/industrial contractors rather than domestic as they gain a wider degree of experience in the field and see a more diverse range of projects eg substations, main switchrooms, lifts, back up power supplies (generator installations), as well as the full range of lighting, power and data installations.
Working on new installations is also less risky than working on existing/refurbishment/maintenance/demolition type projects.
Ahh – nothing like a 'cleansing 240v' to get the blood circulating! unless you are of very poor health, cop a beauty (more than 240v ;or some serious current, rather than voltage) or a complete klutz don't worry – I'm sure your boy will be fine. Give him some encouragement, and look forward to discounted electrical work at home or on theos IP's.
The danger with electrocution is that the Alternating current causes muscles to contract and a person may not be able to let go of the wire. If you have your other arm earthed the current will go across the heart and stop the heart. Wearing safety shoes provides insulation from the ground and reduces the current flowing from the arm to ground if you are not earthed through the other arm or other parts of the body..
Having touched 240v it travelled through my arm down my body to my feet and into the ground. It hurts when this occurs.
My Father was with an electrician on a job who asked his apprentice if the power was off and the apprentice said it was. The electrician took his insulated side cutters and put them across the wires and it went zap . My Dad said that was lucky to the electrician and the electrician said that was not luck it was deliberately done to blow the circuit breaker or fuse and that the power was now definately off.
Always treat electricity as LIVE and minimise contact with bare wires as you never know if someone hasn't turned the power off or accidently turned it back on.
TV's are a lot more dangerous as they have > 18,000 volts stored in the Cathode Ray Tubes even when the TV is switched off.
My Dad touched the wrong part of the picture tube and was thrown across the room but lived.
I am not an electrician but I am an Electronics Technician.
Whacking your head when thrown from the shock is a possible danger.as a sparky, an apprentice is taught on day one, to always test any wires before touching them.
This is all you have to do to avoid a boot….. basically trust no-one except your tester . – (and always test the tester itself before and after testing).
Never rely on somebody else who has said " it's off", even if it is the supervising sparky.
The other tip which they won't teach in class is as duckster mentions, the back up plan.
Even having tested the circuit and confident the correct isolations have been made, you can brush metal (pliers) across live terminals to earth to confirm it's dead. If it is live – usually you'll just get a spark and a blown fuse/cb. You can also brush the back of your hand across the exposed copper quickly, – in theory this will only cause you to twitch away.
Personally, I make a point of not touching any copper with my hands – just use pliers. Or if I have to – only for a short time.
When you understand how you could get a shock – the fear goes and it becomes just a process.
Easy.
Todays Age has a subject related picture on the back page Wednesday 12/3/2008 on how not to safely work on Delhi power lines.
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