277V shock yesterday

[ram11379]

As the title states. Yeterday I recieved a 277V shock. I was working above a drop ceiling on an 8' ladder. I was in a j box and simply tracing wires to eliminate a motion sensor after a room was extended. I had my right hand on a 3/4" Emt(yeah I know) and with my left hand I was holding a wire nut and pushing it out of the way so I could see where a wire was going behind it. I believe that as I moved this wire nut the power line came free from the nut and hit my hand.

I was locked in and I knew it. In I believe what was only 1 second this happened... First I said out loud ,"Oh God" as I tried to pull away. Not being able to pull away a pushed as hard as I could with my legs against the ladder. The ladder folded and I believe I fell flat on my back.

As I sat on the floor I knew I pretty much shouldn't be alive considering I got locked in and was by myself. I did not expect to be able to talk, think, or by any means move my legs enough to push the ladder while locked in. This still amazes me today.

I did go to the ER after about 20 min. and they kept me there for 6 hrs. Two urine tests and two Ekg's later they said we see no heart damage consider yourself very lucky and you can go home! They did tell me to keep antibiotic on my hand cuts as I had no burn marks at all they assume there is damage under surface and I should watch for infection. Today I wake up and am very sore from the fall and sholders both hurt but I feel pretty Blessed.

I guess I just felt the need to share this tale. Also was curious if anyone had similar experience, and if I should still go back to my regular doctor just to be safe, and would would I have them look for if anything.

 

[zog]

Thanks for sharing, maybe this makes some old school people re-think the way they do work. Glad you are OK and did the right thing by getting checked out.

The reason they did all those tests is the adreniline your body produced when this happened can mask the effects of the shock to your heart. You can be in fibrilation but the heart can still pump blood due to the adreniline, until later when you calm down and go into full fibrilation. EMT's will inject this into a persons heart to buy time until they can get a defibrilator, same effect as the natural adreniline your body produces.

The majority of fatalaties following an electric shock caused by ventricilar fibrilation occur an hour after the shock occured.

 

[One-eyed Jack]

Never been locked in but I have been burned. Had my electrons re-arranged with 120-480 volts. Hurt every time. As they said you are lucky.

 

[K8MHZ]

Not only have I got nailed by 277 above a drop ceiling I know many others that have.

I am glad you made it OK. Some do not fare so well.

This type of shock is very common and very dangerous.

1) While working above a dropped ceiling it's hard not to touch anything metal.

2) It's usually warm up there and you quickly become covered with electrically conductive sweat.

3) 277 is common in commercial lighting.

4) Sometimes the only way to get un locked is to fall off the ladder.


I think that getting nailed above the ceiling tiles once real good may actually be a life saver. I know I sure do things differently now and I never work alone.

I think we need better training on how to un lock ourselves. I know that panic can be a factor and I also know that injuries can be sustained by the act of freeing one's self from being hung up. I also know that you can become more able to get loose if you have some knowledge and (not that this is good) some experience.

 

[SEO]

I'm glad that you are doing well. I had almost that exact same thing happen to me about twenty five years ago . I was standing on the top step of a stepladder (I know better) my left hand holding onto the bar joist and my right hand putting a 4 11/16 cover on. A schotchlock had a nick in the top and when the cover touched it I was hung up. This was in a lab with 277V lighting.

I couldn't let go either and all I could think about was this is it. I was able to buckle my legs and fall. I was lucky my brother who worked for me and the plant maintance man were in the room next to the lab and saw the flash. My brother caught me before I hit the floor.

He held me for several seconds before I could stand. I went to the hospital and had an EKG and blood tests and was released. That event will stay with me the rest of my life. I was one of the guys that had to wet their finger to feel 120 volts. Another bad thing to do. No wetting required for 277!

 

[AV ELECTRIC]

Are senses may tell us its safe but are training and experience tells us otherwise. We all get complacent at times we are tired we are in a rush we don't take the wright precautions but those mistakes can be deadly you have to be on your game at all times. We are so underpaid for what we do.

 

[K8MHZ]

We are so underpaid for what we do.

Indeed, but sadly, we are forced to submit to the law of supply and demand.

So long as there is no demand for our work, the lowballers will set the scale in a frantic race to the bottom.

So long as there is no enforcement, the supply of 'electricians' becomes nearly infinite.

So long as we love our work, we will do it for whatever we can get rather than do something we dislike for a few pennies more, thus dropping the carrot even further down the hole.

 

[cowboyjwc]

Those of us that live to tell our tale usually tell almost the same story. Got hung up, had a complete conversation with God, kicked loose finally, hurt like heck the next day. And I agree that the whole event probably lasted a second or less.

I used to blame my shoulder problems on rodeo and softball and bowling, but I now wonder if it did more damage than I thought when I got hit.

I've told this here before, but in less than two weeks the exact same thing happened to two electricians on two different projects. One was dead when he hit the ground and he just happened to land in front of two guys who knew CPR, he was back at work less than two weeks later. The second one fell off the ladder, but hit his head on the concrete floor. Married with a three year old daughter and he spent two weeks in a coma and I sure some huge bills and a long recovery. I have not heard the outcome of his story.

 

[jwjrw]

We were doing a kitchen remodel in a 12story condo. I had reached down to grab a piece of mc so I could remove the metal sheath and test to make sure it was dead. Well when I picked it up I realized I didnt have to test it I could feel it and I couldnt let go. It felt like forever before I stepped on the cable while moving my arms up.... Even worse the HO was watching and thought I was going to die..I did to for a sec

 

[jmellc]

Yes, these wallops often come totally unexpected. I've had 2 or 3 shocks on 277 and several more on 120. I'm convinced that 277 can jump a minor crack in a wirenut that might not even be noticed with 120. I've had a 277 shock, killed power and examined insulation and wirenuts, no obvious damage. Would cut an inch of wire off and remake with new wirenuts, just to err on side of caution. We've all seen those hairline cracks in wire that don't show until you bend a loop. Also, with 277 or any other, if any stranded wire is involved just a tiny strand protruding is all it takes for a nasty surprise.

 

[LarryFine]

Also, with 277 or any other, if any stranded wire is involved just a tiny strand protruding is all it takes for a nasty surprise.

And they hurt even more if they puncture the skin.

 

[don_resqcapt19]

And they hurt even more if they puncture the skin.

If the live wire punctures the skin, you are likely dead.

 

[LarryFine]

If the live wire punctures the skin, you are likely dead.

Not yet.

 

[sii]

I got 277 once and it was the very first event that actually caused me to re-evaluate my "priorities" on the job. I had felt 120 a few times and thought "no big deal" but 277 once was enough for me.

I was working in one of two adjacent machine control panels, each fed from different sources and with seperate disconnect means. Someone had run 480 from one panel about 30' out and back to the other panel where they placed an open-type fuse holder on the left side wall of the panel and then back out the same 30'. Briliant, huh?

I think I was lucky because I was standing on an insulated rubber mat and my left hand was on a screwdriver when my elbow touched the fuse. Must have only gotten the jolt from my elbow to my hand and it still felt like a hammer-blow to the chest.

Also caused me to begin a quest to eliminate all of the open fuse holders in our machinery...almost there.

Wish I could get that same adrenaline rush without the near-death to go with it.

 

[brantmacga]

glad you're okay.


guy I apprenticed under had this happen about 30 years ago on a control circuit for a starter; was locked on for a few seconds and said he vomited profusely afterwards.

had a helper behind him who didn't realize what was happening at first and got something to knock him off.

 

[WDeanN]

I've also had something similar.
Top step on a ladder in a drop ceiling. I swear it was the neutral on a circuit I thought I had turned off.

After speaking to God for a few moments, and worrying about leaving my new wife, I did the 60 cycle shuffle off the ladder, hit my chin on the ladder on the way down, and fell backwards onto a couch.

When I recovered I cursed my apprentice for turning the circuit back on (he didn't, I turned off the wrong three circuits...), then got sent to the doc for stitches to my chin where I was bleeding profusely from contact with the top of the ladder on the way down.
Boss sent me back to the same job the next day to finish it up. That was just about the longest day at work I've ever had.

I still have the scars on my chin to remind me about the dangers of the neutral on a three phase circuit...

 

[George Stolz]

I once was hanging fixtures in a stairwell, didn't want to inconvenience anybody by shutting off the power. Caught 277v between hand and elbow, and learned never to do that again. I think my heart slowed and I quit shaking about a half hour later.

It's worthwhile to note, while we are having this discussion, that most contruction electrocution fatalities occur with 120v. Respect the beast regardless of the voltage, folks. But I will admit that 277v hurts a lot more.

 

[220/221]

I did the 60 cycle shuffle

I have heard the "ladder above the grid" story more than once.

Be careful out there.

 

[TOOL_5150]

I've also had something similar.
Top step on a ladder in a drop ceiling. I swear it was the neutral on a circuit I thought I had turned off.

After speaking to God for a few moments, and worrying about leaving my new wife, I did the 60 cycle shuffle off the ladder, hit my chin on the ladder on the way down, and fell backwards onto a couch.

When I recovered I cursed my apprentice for turning the circuit back on (he didn't, I turned off the wrong three circuits...), then got sent to the doc for stitches to my chin where I was bleeding profusely from contact with the top of the ladder on the way down.
Boss sent me back to the same job the next day to finish it up. That was just about the longest day at work I've ever had.

I still have the scars on my chin to remind me about the dangers of the neutral on a three phase circuit...

TEST BEFORE YOU TOUCH!

Im glad you are here to tell the story. "60 cycle shuffle" had me laughing - made me think of all those times i got stabbed by a strand of stranded while working next to someone and did the jitter-shake "trying to let go" of this dead circuit. :grin: They just look at me like "what the heck"

~Matt

 

[quogueelectric]

I was helping out a friend who got bagged by a town inspector who wrote up an illegal appt from 1974 for no co. had to change out about a dozen duplex for gfcis throughout the house. Just by the questions he asked I knew he would try to do this by himself hot. This is where the fun begins. It all started with a flurry of phone calls at about 10 am he must have gotten bit about a half a dozen times by now. I couldnt get over there until about 4pm and he would watch me do one then he would go ahead trying to duplicate until I would hear a shriek . As cruel as it sounds I kept asking him if he had had enough yet and warning him that he could go into a deadly rythym from just one shock. I also reminded him about the snakebite joke and that I really didnt want to do mouth to mouth unless I really had to. He was so stubborn but his stubborness made me laugh.