277V shock yesterday

[jrannis]

Interesting.
"Oh God" were going to be my last words too if I couldn't make myself fall off of my ladder.
I still remember it to this day. I hurt my tail bone when I landed in a trash pile.
Must have been around 1984 or so.

 

[ram11379]

Interesting.
"Oh God" were going to be my last words too if I couldn't make myself fall off of my ladder.
I still remember it to this day. I hurt my tail bone when I landed in a trash pile.
Must have been around 1984 or so.

Its funny because I have actually pondered, "what would I say if I knew I was about to get say T boned in a car or by a train?" Now I know!

I am actually feeling ok now a bit beat up. Got a nice giddeyup to my step. And am very sick of talking to every teacher about it who heard the gossip! No complaints though, I am alive to tell the story.

 

[Sierrasparky]

When after any of you got hit like this did you get a feeling of sand paper in your joints nearby. Did you have problems moving those joints. It happend to me when a steel wall was live and was isolated from the steel beams which were grounded. I touched both. Apparently the steel stud wall was not bonded to the metal of the building and the hots and grounds were reversed. (some wonderful handyman work) I don't think anyone could have been prepared for that.

My jounts were like someone put sand in them for months. My muscles still twich on their own even 12 years later.

 

[ram11379]

I don't have anything like that just sore muscles still and shoulders are still pretty sore. Kinda like I worked out for a day straight.

 

[A-1Sparky]

I got nailed with 277 right at a distribution panel. I was pulling in some wire, got distracted by a radio call, and ended up with one hand touching the panel and the back of the other hand touching the C phase buss. Luckily, my momentum from pulling on the wire helped me break free. I fell backwards and landed on my back on the concrete floor. I just looked up at the ceiling for a couple of minutes, and thanked God that I was still alive.

 

[highline]

Mid 80's. Had to disconect a 90KVA spot welder for a move. Turned off the power and removed the cover to the feed. By this time it was break time so I went on break. Came back and slid a 3/8 allen wrench into the lug to loosen. I remember very well a loud bang, everything looked blueish, I could see people turning to look and could see their mouth move but couldn't hear any voices and everything seemed to move in slow motion. I can remember saying to myself "God, I'm dead." Was taken to the hosp., released and stayed home for a day. Very bad tinfoil taste for a while and sore. Welders leak so I was standing on a damp floor, touching a metal basket behind me, holding a non-insulated allen wrench. Was VERY lucky that the wrench also arched to the mach. frame next to my hand.Never found out who turned the power back on. Lock it out guys! Double check.

 

[76nemo]

May I ask what may be a stupid question??? Why a urine analyse? Insurance reasons???? Two pee-pee cups??????

 

[Dave58er]

After similar shocks (thankfully I have yet to be knocked from the ladder) I began following the advise I got from an old-timer early in my career;
I keep two pairs of gloves.
One pair that are pretty beat-up I keep in my bag and use for rough work like wire pulls or other hand and glove abusing type work.
The other pair is new and free of holes and oils and stays in my back pocket, ready for action. I use them for live work and "just poking around" in boxes. When that pair shows signs of wear they get rotated to the tool bag and I get a new one.
Some safety precautions may not be practical in the real world where we work every day, but some are simple, cheap, quick, and easy.

 

[dsandberg]

Lucky Man

Lucky Man

Almost exactly the same thing happened to me years ago when I was a journeyman. Judging by the posts, this is common and scary.

 

[nhfire77]

You Lucky Dog.

You Lucky Dog.

The fact that you fell and hit the floor hard could be the reason you are alive. If your heart went into Ventricular Fibrillation, and then you fell and hit the floor, that fall could have restarted your heart.

The medical term/equivalent is a precordial thump. I have used it twice, once successfully. (its no longer a recommended technique)

 

[charlie k.]

May I ask what may be a stupid question??? Why a urine analyse? Insurance reasons???? Two pee-pee cups??????

A urine test is given to check for internal bleeding. They check this after a fall like he had.

Charlie

 

[electricguy61]

I had the same "above the ceiling 277v" experience. I was locked in and unable to move anything. Only thing that saved me was my apprentice kicking the ladder out from under me. He thinks I was frying for about 10 seconds.

The slam to the floor knocked my bicep tendon off my shoulder. Shoulder surgery was very painful, but much better then a funeral.

This was due to someone leaving a live 277v wire in a jbox without a wire nut. I too had one hand on an EMT, on the other hand I got a 2nd degree burn on the webbing between two fingers.

Now, I wear gloves when in a ceiling.

 

[problemsolver600]

Never assume nothin!

Never assume nothin!

Last week I pulled a 20 amp 120 volt outlet out to check the circuit tag prior to cutting the circuit and pulling new wires to the box.
The last person to work in the box had secured the terminal screw on the hot wire very tightly.
He just failed to put the wire into the "clamp".
The wire popped loose and hit the ground strap portion of the outlet, which was connected to a bonding wire and me. A cook pushed my feet out from under me.
The short not only tripped the breaker, but the whole panel, which took out the restaurants ordering system and cash registers.
I wasn't as securely trapped as the others, the breaker did finally trip, but it was one more wake up call,
"Never assume the last guy was competent."

Been in school, miss the forum!

Gary Grizzle

 

[mattsilkwood]

The first time I got hit by 277 I learned a valuable lesson, don't trust anyone.
The foreman sent me to work on an RTU and told me the power was off, It wasn't.

A guy I work with got hung up on a 277 neutral reaching through a bar joist. It messed him up pretty bad.
It blew out the carpal tunnel in both hands, tore one of the muscles in his forearm.
That was about ten years ago and still to this day he can't remember things and he is real shaky.