Now THIS was funny...........

[220/221]

Troubleshooting tripping residential GFCI in a garage this AM.

It's about waist high with a couple of boxes in front of it and some golf clubs to the side. It's a little awkward but not as bad as a kit countertop recep.

Wires are all twisted up. Line in pair was identified by the ground wire wrapping around it tightly about 6 times. Two lines out. I decided I didn't like it so I remove the recep and start untwisting the mess. I am aware of the hot wire but didn't take two seconds to put a nut on it.

My hands/arms were in an odd position untwisting the ground and my hand made slight contact with the hot wire. I jerked back and hit myself square in the nose with the back of my hand. My eyes were watering and I could feel the blood starting to trickle.

No one was around to witness this event. I walked to my truck for a paper towel and after about 30 seconds I realized how funny it was.



The problem was a neutral to ground fault in the front patio recep. On installation, the ground wire was probably very close to the 3/8" of exposed neutral on the backstabbed recep. The recep must have shifted over/back a bit when somebody used it.

 

[peter d]

Thanks for the laugh.

 

[PCN]

Can you file a workers comp claim if you punch yourself in the nose?

 

[Mule]

can you do that again, only filming it for us?

 

[quogueelectric]

I have punched myself in the nose a half adozen times and it is never pleasant.

 

[Mule]

I have punched myself in the nose a half adozen times and it is never pleasant.

You've GOT to quit that !!! look at your avitar pic !!!:smile:

 

[electricalperson]

I have punched myself in the nose a half adozen times and it is never pleasant.

i hit myself in the nose with my hammer and also punched myself a couple times myself also. pretty embarrassing if someone sees it

 

[Karl H]

I'm laughing with you ,cause I've done the same thing myself.

 

[brantmacga]

its only funny because you didn't die.



i hate to be mr. safety here, but







stop working hot.

 

[Okie Sparky]

You guys admit to this.

 

[peter d]

stop working hot.

Yeah, that's the answer.

 

[Karl H]

You guys admit to this.

When you admit to it,it is funny,if someone witnesses it,it's embarrassing.

 

[brantmacga]

When you admit to it,it is funny,if someone witnesses it,it's embarrassing.

if i told you i played russian roulette and didn't kill myself, would that be funny? because that's basically what just happened here.




i'm not trying to be a horse's rear end or talk down to anyone, because i know i used to do things like this when i got "comfortable" with electrical work. i think its important to be critical of this incident so no one laughs about it without thinking of the consequences.


its been a long time since i purposely worked hot, and i admit i had to ween myself off it. sometimes it seems so much easier to do these simple tasks without the proper protection.


you should make a commitment to yourself, and your family, to not do these things.

about a year ago, i got my hand caught in the bussbars of a live panel that i had re-energized to check voltage, but failed to turn off. [wimp] i got a little emotional about that [/wimp]. it was in no way a laughing matter, and especially if i hadn't walked away from it. if i weren't serious about electrical safety, i would've just laughed it off also. but i've made a commitment to be safe.



in closing, yes, the OP hitting themself in the face was probably hilarious, but the means that caused him to do so was not.

 

[peter d]

Well said Brant.

 

[Mule]

if i told you i played russian roulette and didn't kill myself, would that be funny? because that's basically what just happened here.




i'm not trying to be a horse's rear end or talk down to anyone, because i know i used to do things like this when i got "comfortable" with electrical work. i think its important to be critical of this incident so no one laughs about it without thinking of the consequences.


its been a long time since i purposely worked hot, and i admit i had to ween myself off it. sometimes it seems so much easier to do these simple tasks without the proper protection.


you should make a commitment to yourself, and your family, to not do these things.

about a year ago, i got my hand caught in the bussbars of a live panel that i had re-energized to check voltage, but failed to turn off. [wimp] i got a little emotional about that [/wimp]. it was in no way a laughing matter, and especially if i hadn't walked away from it. if i weren't serious about electrical safety, i would've just laughed it off also. but i've made a commitment to be safe.



in closing, yes, the OP hitting themself in the face was probably hilarious, but the means that caused him to do so was not.

You know, I'm 51 and working stuff live was just the way I was taught, and I realize that younger electricians have been taught different, as well as folks like yourself that have had close calls. I dont blame you for your safe attitude at all.....SaaLUTE !!! But, I worked some 480v live today (with gloves), but only because I was lazy and didnt want to go all the way around the building to de-energize...

 

[peter d]

But, I worked some 480v live today (with gloves), but only because I was lazy and didnt want to go all the way around the building to de-energize...

Seeing a few 480 volt fireballs on Youtube or wherever will quickly change your mind about working live.

 

[Mule]

Seeing a few 480 volt fireballs on Youtube or wherever will quickly change your mind about working live.

Yea, I NEVER work anything hot that has much current behind it.....I did learn my lesson earlier this year and I"ve learned to recongize old, and dangerous scenerios.

 

[peter d]

Yea, I NEVER work anything hot that has much current behind it.....

how about working on stuff that has NO current behind it?

 

[quogueelectric]

You've GOT to quit that !!! look at your avitar pic !!!:smile:

A couple of years of boxing lessons is what perfected my snout. Ive got to stop leading with my face they said. Amateurs are all headhunters only three rounds to ring the bell. Ouch!!

 

[LarryFine]

I'm laughing with you ,cause I've done the same thing myself.

And I'm laughing because I haven't!

One of my best friends, however, has done something similar, but at home. He was trying to replace the aluminum threshold of his downstairs on-slab exterior door.

The last hammered-in concrete nail (I heard; hadn't seen) stayed in the floor, so, on his elbows and knees, grabbed the head with his pliers and pulled as hard as he could.

Naturally, the pliers slipped off of the nailhead. He had a grape-sized bump in his forehead for about three weeks. And naturally, we called him Cyclops the whole time.