Feedback from my safety tips on electrocution...

I learned some important safety tips for working around electricity nearly 60 years ago...

Everyone,

My article yesterday had a lot of great feedback.. Thanks for your kind words. If you missed it, read yesterday’s article below

Read the comments below…

I rarely (never) reply to messages like this .. but ... THIS IS A LIFESAVING TIP! ... that I've NEVER heard before .. THANK YOU! - Mike R.I worked with/around medium and high voltage as a startup engineer. Great tutorial! I was also taught to have someone nearby with a wood or fiberglass pole to push me away if something went wrong. - David D

Very simply, from a physiology aspect, an electrical impulse causes muscles to contract. So, in addition to a knuckle of a closed hand feeling a current, that same current will cause the muscles in the arm to contract, thus pulling away from the source. Same with heat, use the back of your hand to see if objects are hot, like doors and doorknobs in the event of a fire. Never want to open a door with a fire on the other side!! - Scott T

USAF taught the hand in back pocket in 1968 and eventually I did as an instructor. Great post. - Bud

I can certainly relate to your article. As an apprentice, wow over 40 years ago, the electrical contractor I worked for had me wrap electrical tape around my fingers up to my knuckles. Red electrical tape at that. He told me he wanted me to see my fingers. Through the years we all could tell stories about jobs we worked on and took a jolt or two. When I opened up my our contracting business I made it a point to have safety classes for all. When working in damp locations we used make shift pallets to stand on. When up grading service my guys had to stand on wooden platforms we built in our shop. I have found that when you try to take a short cut without throughly thinking through the procedure someone will get hurt.- Steve S

Great tips Mike, Thanks for sharing. I had heard of the hand in the back pocket but not the knuckle tip. - Michael R