Got Shocked By 480V. Still Not Sure How

[LarryFine]

I recently was shocked with 480V. I am 4 weeks into my recovery.

Wow! I agree: you're a lucky man, indeed!

If my exposed forearm touched the gounded bus it would make sense that my body somehow made a phase to ground connection, right? If my arm was the only thing that made physical contact with a bonded neutral and I was on an insulated mat, how and/or why would current flow through me unless I was completing a circuit?

My first thought was that maybe your head made contact with the cabinet. As you're sure the only bus you contacted was the neutral, and you're sure it was well bonded, maybe the cabinet or earth around it is energized.

Remember, a voltage is a potential difference between two points. It doesn't matter which of those points is hot, or which should or shouldn't be hot. Maybe something that should have been at zero volts to ground wasn't.


In any case, glad you're here to wonder what the heckfire happened!

 

[brantmacga]

i'm really glad you're okay. hope you have a full recovery.

question though;

the man i apprenticed under was hit w/ 480 and had to be physically knocked off it; luckily it was done within a few seconds of him getting locked on. he said he continuously vomited for the next 3 days. just curious if you experienced any of the same?

you said you just regained the use of your legs; were they numb or you just had no muscle strength?

just curious about what it actually felt like.

 

[bthouse]

i'm really glad you're okay. hope you have a full recovery.

question though;

the man i apprenticed under was hit w/ 480 and had to be physically knocked off it; luckily it was done within a few seconds of him getting locked on. he said he continuously vomited for the next 3 days. just curious if you experienced any of the same?

you said you just regained the use of your legs; were they numb or you just had no muscle strength?

just curious about what it actually felt like.

If I had been holding anything (cable, tool, cabinet, ect) I would have needed to be physically pulled away. Every muscle in my body convulsed and contracted rapidly. The shock was excruciating. I remember hearing a loud hum and I could not see. I remember thinking shit, shit, oh shit I'm gettin' hit! I knew I was in big trouble and had to break loose fast. But I was paralyzed. I don't know how long I was connected before I lost conciousness. It seemed forever. Like slow motion. When I woke up it was like my brain re-booted. I had no idea where I was or what happened. After about 30 seconds it all came back. My heart was racing faster than it ever had and I was hyper-ventilating. I tried to get up and run. But my legs were unable to support me. I never vomited like your friend. My speech was "slow" for the first day. I was temporarily unable to walk because the muscles in my legs, especially my calves, were breaking down and releasing dangerous levels of enzymes into my system. Doctors said if the enzyme levels got too high they would clog my kidneys. They flushed me out w/ IV fluids. My calf muscles were locked up. For 2 days if I tried to move my legs, even just a little bit, they would spasm into the worst charlie horse you can imagine. But as the enzymes were flushed out my legs greatly improved. After being discharged from the hopital I've had a skin graft performed on my forearm. It's been 4 weeks and I still have spasms and muscle pain in my right arm. I am going to see an orthopedic surgeon Mon. to see if I have any muscle, ligament, and/or nerve damage that needs to be fixed. But I'll be going to the doctor with a smile on my face. Because I know that no matter what kind of rehab I may need for my arm, I know how bad it could have been. I know exactly what I could have lost. We work in an extremely dangerous trade. And we need to constantly remind ourselves of this. Gentlemen be careful and be safe. Thanks for everybody's responses to this post. I know my post and my responses have been a bit long winded. But writing all of this down and answering questions has really helped.

 

[hardworkingstiff]

I too am glad you are recovering (I didn't say OK, because you're hospital stay says you weren't).

Am I correct in assuming you were working 480 gear hot without an assistant? I only ask because it seems from your descriptions you were working alone. I'm not trying to beat you up, just to point out to some of the younger crowd how important it is to have qualified help (First Aid training and CPR) when you must work hot, speaking of which, why was it you had to work it hot?

Again, I'm glad you are alive and recovering. Thank you so much for sharing this experience.

 

[zog]

bthouse, thank you for sharing your story, I hope at least one person reads this and re-thinks the old school way of working hot.

 

[K8MHZ]

bthouse, thank you for sharing your story, I hope at least one person reads this and re-thinks the old school way of working hot.

It didn't take me long to change my ways after I started reading the forums here.

The networking we have here is phenomenal and many of us owe much of our knowledge of the trade to that fact.

Thanks to the OP for starting this thread. It likely will prevent others from having the same experience.