you don't get shocked if you touch only the hot screw on outlet?

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DBoone said:
Seems no matter if I’m on a second story wood framed floor with shoes on, if I contact a 120V hot wire I get zapped and I definitely feel it.
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If you holding on to a grounded device yoke and touch the ungrounded conductor you will get nailed.

If you standing on the non conductive floor and touch nothing else but the ungrounded conductor the chance is very slim, would have to be some capacitive action going on if you do get shocked.

remember a capacitor is two conductors separated by an insulator, the thinner the insulator the more capacitance it can have. How many times you grab a hot conductor by the insulation and not get shocked, how thin is it's insulation? This is one reason the insulation gets thicker with higher voltages.
 
qcroanoke said:
Me too.
Im now taking amiodarone. Has really helped me a lot but the possible side effects are something to consider
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My cardiologist has me on Cardizem. I did a side-by-side comparison and it seems that my afib would be a better fit with amiodarone, but I'm not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV.
 
kwired said:
Still not getting me to do it, but I'm sure they have safety harness attached the line so they can't fall (very far)
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I have no idea what fall protection they do or do not have, but say you are up there wearing a safety harness and you fall off the lines. You are hanging there by your harness. Now what?
 
ggunn said:
I have no idea what fall protection they do or do not have, but say you are up there wearing a safety harness and you fall off the lines. You are hanging there by your harness. Now what?
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Makes me think of Toni kurz who died dangling from his rope while attempting to retreat from a failed attempt of the north face of the Eiger. If you have an hour to kill, Joe Simpson's documentary on the climb is really good.

 
ggunn said:
I have no idea what fall protection they do or do not have, but say you are up there wearing a safety harness and you fall off the lines. You are hanging there by your harness. Now what?
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Well instead of them scraping you off the ground they find some way to retrieve you still intact?

I bet they have procedures for this, probably involves someone being deployed from the helicopter to assist, or maybe even just bringing that work platform on the helicopter to a position where the worker can help himself?

Videos show them working on outer lines and shield lines, but how do they get the helicopter in to service the inside line? or is that trickier and they have to be hoisted down to the inside line?
 
Stevenfyeager said:
One of my employees swears that if he touches the hot screw on the side of an outlet or switch, he won't feel anything. He says only if he happens to touch the outlet metal or ground or neutral at the same time, then he gets shocked. But I'm sure I've gotten shocked many times in 20 years by touching only the hot screw. Am I right ? My body acts as a ground, right ?
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If you are completely insulated from all earth contact you will still have a capacitance to earth that will allow some current to flow.

The amount of current at 120V is low enough that it will not cause injury and depending on your skin resistance and sensitivity you may not even notice it.
Most people report a "fuzzy" or vibration sensation as they rub their finger over the screw. Old time electricians would check for line voltage "by hand". And would really get surprised when they were accidentally grounded.
 
ggunn said:
I have no idea what fall protection they do or do not have, but say you are up there wearing a safety harness and you fall off the lines. You are hanging there by your harness. Now what?
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They have fall protection and are required to carry kits to get themselves down in an emergency. Training is key.
 
GoldDigger said:
If you are completely insulated from all earth contact you will still have a capacitance to earth that will allow some current to flow.

The amount of current at 120V is low enough that it will not cause injury and depending on your skin resistance and sensitivity you may not even notice it.
Most people report a "fuzzy" or vibration sensation as they rub their finger over the screw. Old time electricians would check for line voltage "by hand". And would really get surprised when they were accidentally grounded.
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25 kV feels like holding a bag of bumblebees.
 
When I was working on a center medium traffic signal "Knock Down" an OSHA inspector happened by and reported me. I was then required to work with a rubber matt ... that lasted about 6 months !
 
The craziest are the guys who hook on to the high voltage lines between towers from a helicopter. It is all about conduction...no voltage differential, no probelm...don't try this at home kids :)
 
Hv&Lv said:
They have fall protection and are required to carry kits to get themselves down in an emergency. Training is key.
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So they lower themselves down all the way to the ground? How do they dissipate any residual charge they may be carrying?

Look up "not for the faint of heart" and you'll find a picture of those guys!
 
ggunn said:
So they lower themselves down all the way to the ground? How do they dissipate any residual charge they may be carrying?

Look up "not for the faint of heart" and you'll find a picture of those guys!
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I found them under "brass ones the size of cannonballs". :D
 
ggunn said:
So they lower themselves down all the way to the ground? How do they dissipate any residual charge they may be carrying?

Look up "not for the faint of heart" and you'll find a picture of those guys!
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emergency mode. Chopper comes in with line and your partner connects your strap to the line. bird takes you up and out.
 
Hv&Lv said:
emergency mode. Chopper comes in with line and your partner connects your strap to the line. bird takes you up and out.
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Ideally the connection is made using a corona discharge point on the strap so that you do not get a sudden high current from the charged capacitance if you make the connection at the wrong time in the cycle. Even wearing a Faraday suit, high instantaneous current present a problem.
 
GoldDigger said:
Ideally the connection is made using a corona discharge point on the strap so that you do not get a sudden high current from the charged capacitance if you make the connection at the wrong time in the cycle. Even wearing a Faraday suit, high instantaneous current present a problem.
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Bare hand a 230kV line.
The arcs will jump to your hands a couple of inches away..
 
Stevenfyeager said:
One of my employees swears that if he touches the hot screw on the side of an outlet or switch, he won't feel anything. He says only if he happens to touch the outlet metal or ground or neutral at the same time, then he gets shocked. But I'm sure I've gotten shocked many times in 20 years by touching only the hot screw. Am I right ? My body acts as a ground, right ?
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Qualified electricians understand what to touch and what not to touch.

I tell my students to practice the old saying "first to make; last to break."
What I mean by this is that one never wants to be the intentional ground of a circuit. Otherwise, one risks shock or electrocution. Therefore, practice making up the neutrals first and taking them apart last. This mindful practice helps keep one safe by ensuring the neutral path is always hooked up.

So, if you touch a 120-volt hot screw with one finger (intentionally not touching any other known grounded surface), should you get shocked? The answer is no. Of course, I do not recommend the practice.
 
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