Electrical shock 277 v

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hello I am sorry to bother with what may seem somewhat ignorant questions. I am a 34 year old woman and a second-year Apprentice. About 1 week ago my I was hit with 277 volts well on an 8-foot ladder. It was the end of the night and my foreman had instructed myself in another co-worker to take down some light fixtures two strings on for some smaller fixtures in a commercial setting . apparently while we were doing so he decided to just go ahead and wait until the following night to continue however he did not verify or check if you have the fixtures open or not because we were on the other side if the building or I think he assumed that we had not already gotten the fixtures down. as a result I was hit well having both hands on the hot .I had already to removed the wirenut and was using my hand to untwist the wires. Due to the fact that I had to work in the rain prior to that my gloves were wet and I was not wearing gloves. I felt too strong jolts go up my right arm and then I felt like a burn in my left thumb and left foot. I did not fall off the ladder and it did not grab me as they say however it really scared me. I had no visual Burns initially my hands felt kind of numb like it was hard to close them and within about 30 minutes of left side of my face was very red and it felt like as if it was burning from the inside of my ear left side of my neck and top of my back and shoulder. The left side of my face was twitching for about 20 minutes. And overall I didn't feel too great. My foreman apologized many times and ended up going home that night without going to the doctor or Hospital because I didn't want to get him in trouble and I wasn't really sure of the seriousness of the situation. After about an hour or two my face stop burning and the redness went away and the next day I was a little sore but went back to work. It's been about a week now and I have extreme loss of hearing in my left ear but I hear like a ringing constantly in both ears. I became very dizzy and nauseous while on the boom lift at work 2 days ago and I feel like my equilibrium is messed up. The thing is that I've always had the problem with ear infections so I'm not sure if this is just an ear infection or if you could be related to the shock. I've never experienced ringing in my ears like this before and I'm not really sure if that could be a possible effect this long afterwards or not. Like I said it's been a week already and I don't want to get anybody in trouble but I also want to properly address the situation. I went to Urgent Care last night and was prescribed antibiotics for fluid in my inner ear but I'm concerned about the ringing noise in both ears. I would appreciate any feedback about any possible knowledge of long-term effects. Thank you for your time and any response will be greatly appreciated
 
I just dont want to cause problems or get any one in trouble, ... I just want to work. At the time he asked me if I wanted to report it and I said no which was probably unwise on my part because since then i have developed infection in both ears. On the other hand we are working nights and we are outside. Ultimately my question simply is if this buzzing in my ears could be a possible effect from getting shocked or if that is not commonly known to occur in this situation .
 

Gary11734

Senior Member
Location
Florida
I just dont want to cause problems or get any one in trouble, ... I just want to work. At the time he asked me if I wanted to report it and I said no which was probably unwise on my part because since then i have developed infection in both ears. On the other hand we are working nights and we are outside. Ultimately my question simply is if this buzzing in my ears could be a possible effect from getting shocked or if that is not commonly known to occur in this situation .

I don't know the laws of your state, but.
They should have Workmen's Compensations for injuries on the job. You should at least go to the doctor and fill out the forms because this could end up being a long term problem.
They have Workmen's Compensation for these occasions.
And, I'm sure you have a window to report from the date of the accident or you will lose the benefit.
Do not hesitate. They should have a place that is used for Workmen's compensation, or to a local clinic or hospital to get in the system. Time is of the essence.

Now, this may not be related to the accident but only a doctor will be able to ascertain whether its work related or not, and verify for future claims if any.
 

busman

Senior Member
Location
Northern Virginia
Occupation
Master Electrician / Electrical Engineer
Your description of the accident is a bit hard to read (grammar/spelling) in places. However, it sounds as though you had both hands on the hot conductor. This really does not describe the current path which is very important. Where were you grounded? Metal ladder? Head? Somewhere else on your body? Regardless, I agree with the others that you should report this and get a medical evaluation.

For the symptoms of electric shock, from WebMD:


A person shocked by high voltage (500 volts or more) should be evaluated in the emergency department. It may be prudent to get prehospital care, usually obtained by calling 911. Following a low-voltage shock, go to the emergency department for the following concerns:

  • Any noticeable burn to the skin
  • Any period of unconsciousness
  • Any numbness, tingling, paralysis, vision, hearing, or speech problems
  • Confusion
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Seizures
  • Any electric shock if you're more than 20 weeks' pregnant
  • Any other worrisome symptoms
 

Besoeker3

Senior Member
Location
UK
Occupation
Retired Electrical Engineer
I'm a foreigner but I'll give my two pence worth anyway.

First of all, I'm sorry the OP got electrocuted. Thankfully, she survived what could have a fatal accident. And I agree with others here - she must seek medical advice for the ongoing symptoms.

I think that any accident or near miss must be reported and investigated. If for no other reason than to prevent a recurrence with possibly a worse outcome.

That an apprentice got to be working on what turned out to be live circuits is not a trivial matter. It should not be dismissed nor swept under the carpet.

Rant over.

 

charlie b

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Lockport, IL
Occupation
Retired Electrical Engineer
I just dont want to cause problems or get any one in trouble, ... I just want to work.
First, you can't work if you are dead. I don't think you understand how close you came to dying.

Secondly, they are already in trouble. Failure to report an event like this is a serious violation of OSHA requirements. The longer you wait, the worse it will be.

Finally, I believe you need more medical care than you are receiving so far. I also believe your employer is responsible for paying for that care.

 
Yes I apologize about the grammatical errors. I reposted but they put it as a duplicate. I did indeed have both hands on the hot because I was untwisting the wires to take down the fixture , in that sense I'm kind of blessed because normally I have one hand leaning against the metal part of the fixture which I suppose would have caused me to get hurt worse. I felt two jolts go up my right arm and I was on the ladder but it seems the point of exit was through my left thumb and left foot. I did not see any Burns but it felt as if I was burning inside my face on the left side which became very red my ear was red and hot to the touch. It felt as if I was burning inside underneath my skin which was strange to me I've never experienced anything like that. The breaker was off when I began working on it the situation was that the foreman flipped the breaker on while myself and my coworker we're still in the middle of taking the fixtures down. Fortunately he did not get hit. I appreciate all of your input and especially about the time frame for reporting an accident. There were many witnesses and what not including my foreman so I guess what it comes down to is not about getting anybody in trouble but taking care of my health And being sure this doesn't happen to anybody else. As an apprentice I'm kind of timid when it comes to a situation like this because I really need my job and I'm hesitant to speak up because I don't want this to affect my career.
 

sameguy

Senior Member
Location
New York
Occupation
Master Elec./JW retired
1) Go to the doctor don't worry about anyone, they aren't worried about you.
2) Report this to your employer, you can have your Forman with you or not, that way he can try to cover his behind for being an idiot.
3) OSHA no hot work.
4) Get your companies ,lock out tag out, policie in writing (in case you get laid off/ fired). Find out if they have a tag box, lock hasp, breaker locks.

It sounds like I'm being an ahole but you only live once; in the old days your "Forman" would have got a set of Kliens wrapped around his head.
 

mopowr steve

Senior Member
Location
NW Ohio
Occupation
Electrical contractor
Even if you opt to not make a big stir, at least find out if your employer has workers comp so you can see a doctor. That’s what they pay into for such things, even if it raises his contribution a little.
Was your face near a suspended ceiling grid, and how would your toe feel a shock was there something grounded to your ladder?
 

busman

Senior Member
Location
Northern Virginia
Occupation
Master Electrician / Electrical Engineer
Even if you opt to not make a big stir, at least find out if your employer has workers comp so you can see a doctor. That’s what they pay into for such things, even if it raises his contribution a little.
Was your face near a suspended ceiling grid, and how would your toe feel a shock was there something grounded to your ladder?

Agree. Knowing the current path may be important if you seek medical treatment (which I strongly recommend). Having two hands on the same hot wire will not get you shocked; that's just like the bird on a wire. There must have been a path back to the source. Was it a metal or fiberglass ladder? If it was fiberglass, then it almost had to have been through some other path. I agree that the head touching the ceiling is a common path. Another possibility is that it was a hand-to-hand contact where you came in series with the load. If one hand was on the feed wire and the other on the load, you would get shocked, especially if the load were a magnetic ballast.

Please take care of yourself first.

Mark
 
Yes sir. I was untwisting the two wires (hot) the one from the fixture and the power dropping in . We had installed the fixture the night before but it was the wrong one so I was taking it down and had removed the wire nut and was untwisting those two wires with my thumb and index finger (stranded snd solid) when he turned the breaker on. This was an exterior light so there was no ceiling tiles . I was on a fiberglass ladder
 

Besoeker3

Senior Member
Location
UK
Occupation
Retired Electrical Engineer
Yes sir. I was untwisting the two wires (hot) the one from the fixture and the power dropping in . We had installed the fixture the night before but it was the wrong one so I was taking it down and had removed the wire nut and was untwisting those two wires with my thumb and index finger (stranded snd solid) when he turned the breaker on
You are a lucky girl to have survived the electrocution.
He would be lucky to survive his job.

Here, UK, it would be instant dismissal for what he did and for what he didn't.
No written permit to work on the project?
No method statement?
No LOTO procedure?

Mods, feel free to delete my comments.

.
 

rbalex

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Mission Viejo, CA
Occupation
Professional Electrical Engineer
Bes and I have had our differences of opinion in the past but, as a former member of the NFPA 70E TC, I'm giving him a double thumbs up on every comment/post he's made so far.
 

mbrooke

Batteries Included
Location
United States
Occupation
Technician
I'm a foreigner but I'll give my two pence worth anyway.

First of all, I'm sorry the OP got electrocuted. Thankfully, she survived what could have a fatal accident. And I agree with others here - she must seek medical advice for the ongoing symptoms.

I think that any accident or near miss must be reported and investigated. If for no other reason than to prevent a recurrence with possibly a worse outcome.

That an apprentice got to be working on what turned out to be live circuits is not a trivial matter. It should not be dismissed nor swept under the carpet.

Rant over.


Electrocute means to kill with electricity. OP would be dead if electrocuted. Shocked is more fitting by definition.

Yes I apologize about the grammatical errors. I reposted but they put it as a duplicate. I did indeed have both hands on the hot because I was untwisting the wires to take down the fixture , in that sense I'm kind of blessed because normally I have one hand leaning against the metal part of the fixture which I suppose would have caused me to get hurt worse. I felt two jolts go up my right arm and I was on the ladder but it seems the point of exit was through my left thumb and left foot. I did not see any Burns but it felt as if I was burning inside my face on the left side which became very red my ear was red and hot to the touch. It felt as if I was burning inside underneath my skin which was strange to me I've never experienced anything like that. The breaker was off when I began working on it the situation was that the foreman flipped the breaker on while myself and my coworker we're still in the middle of taking the fixtures down. Fortunately he did not get hit. I appreciate all of your input and especially about the time frame for reporting an accident. There were many witnesses and what not including my foreman so I guess what it comes down to is not about getting anybody in trouble but taking care of my health And being sure this doesn't happen to anybody else. As an apprentice I'm kind of timid when it comes to a situation like this because I really need my job and I'm hesitant to speak up because I don't want this to affect my career.

Honestly, you should have gone to the hospital. There have been cases of people dropping dead several days after an electric shock. I've never fully understood why as they never went into much detail when I read up upon it but from the grape vine supposedly cardiac arrhythmias which deteriorate. Second internal burns can cause dead tissue to seap toxins into the blood over whelming organs.

You are probably fine now, but if it happens again call 911 or check yourself into an ER. Vitals can tell a lot.
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
Honestly, you should have gone to the hospital. There have been cases of people dropping dead several days after an electric shock. I've never fully understood why as they never went into much detail when I read up upon it but from the grape vine supposedly cardiac arrhythmias which deteriorate. Second internal burns can cause dead tissue to seap toxins into the blood over whelming organs.

You are probably fine now, but if it happens again call 911 or check yourself into an ER. Vitals can tell a lot.
Internal injury may not be noticeable at first. Going to hospital and having vitals monitored can tell them if a critical internal organ isn't doing what it is supposed to be doing before it becomes a sudden emergency later on. Not a medical expert, but have heard of them discovering internal problems just with abnormal O2 levels, kinds of things that after some time has passed can make you suddenly drop dead with little or no warning.

General rule is to go to emergency room after any severe shock incident, even if you think you feel fine.
 
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