Electric Shock & the Human Body

Module Goals
This section is intended to inform of the dangers of accidental contact
and methods of protection that can be utilized to protect ones life.
These concepts can be brought forward into streetlighting practices to
help achieve the best system possible for safeguarding the public.

Below are the items to be covered in this module

To explain the effects of electricity on the body
Resistance of the human body

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 Electric Shock & the Human Body
Three primary factors affect the severity of the shock a person receives
when he or she is a part of an electrical circuit:

Amount of current flowing through the body (measured in amperes).

Path of the current through the body.
Length of time the body is in the circuit.

Other factors that may affect the severity of the shock are:
The voltage of the current.
The presence of moisture in the environment.
The phase of the heart cycle when the shock occurs.
The general health of the person prior to the shock.

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 Electric Shock & the Human Body
The human body, particularly the heart, is very vulnerable to electrical
current. Muscle contraction, paralysis, or heart stoppage can result
from the flow of current through the body. Burns of the skin may also
occur. These effects depend upon the amount of current and the path
the current takes through the body.

The length of time during which the current flows through the body is
also a significant factor. At currents ranging from 0.0001 to 0.001
ampere, a person may start to sense that current flow is present. A
current level of 0.001 to 0.005 ampere may cause the arm muscles to
contract and pain to begin.

A current level of 0.01 ampere induces both pain and muscle

contraction. Uncontrolled contraction of muscles results from current
between 0.01 and 0.02 ampere. Thus, a person cannot let go of an
energized conductor.

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 Electric Shock & the Human Body
If the current level is above 0.03 ampere, loss of voluntary controls over
respiratory muscles may occur, causing breathing to stop. Normal
respiration generally resumes if the current is interrupted.

Current flow through the heart muscle will cause ventricular fibrillation.
During this condition, the muscles of the heart operate in a disorganized
manner and do not pump blood. Current levels as low as 0.075 ampere
can cause this condition, but the human body can normally tolerate this
for a short time.

The threshold for 60 Hz current is proportional to body weight and

inversely proportional to the square root of shock duration time. A current
of 1 ampere through the heart muscle for 1/60 of a second will
cause fibrillation.

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Electric Shock & the Human Body

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 Electric Shock & the Human Body
Your body is 70 percent water, and
water is an excellent conductor of
electricity. So, when you touch an
energized bare electrical wire or a
faulty appliance, the electricity will
use your body as the shortest path to
the ground. If you are grounded, the
electricity will instantly pass through
you to the ground, causing a
harmfuland sometimes fatal
shock.
You can be killed by the tiny amount
of electricity used by one 7.5-watt
holiday light if it passes through your
chest. If the shock doesn't kill you, it
can still badly hurt you by causing
serious falls, burns, cuts, or internal
bleeding. A shock from a 100-watt
bulb or a 1000-watt hair dryer will
probably be fatal.

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Electric Shock & the Human Body
Current Level Probable Effect on Human Body

1 mA Level of perception, slight tingling sensation

9 mA Slight shock, not painful but disturbing

Let-go range: Painful shock, muscular

9-30 mA
control is lost
Extreme pain, respiratory arrest, cannot let
50-150 mA
go, death is possible
Ventricular fibrillation, nerve damage, death
1000-4300 mA
is likely

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 Electric Shock & the Human Body
Resistance of the human body

When a person touches an energized conductor, current flows through

the body to the ground. Some of the current may flow through the heart,
depending upon how contact occurred. The amount of current that
flows depends upon the resistance of the skin, the voltage on the
energized conductor, and the ground resistance.

The skin typically provides a resistance on the order of 1,500 to 5,000

ohms. Skin puncture, which can result from burns caused by electrical
current flow, reduces the resistance to as low as 500 ohms.

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 Electric Shock & the Human Body

Now consider what happens when a person touches a 120-volt

conductor. The typical skin resistances noted above permit a current
flow of approximately 0.024 to 0.080 amperes, which can be enough to
cause fibrillation, given sufficient time. When a person touches a 480-
volt conductor, the current flow would be 0.096 to 0.320 amps.

Wet conditions are common during low-voltage electrocutions. Under

dry conditions, human skin is very resistant. Wet skin dramatically
drops the body's resistance.

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 Electric Shock & the Human Body

High-voltage electrical energy greatly reduces the body's resistance by

quickly breaking down human skin. Once the skin is punctured, the
lowered resistance results in massive current flow.

Ohm's law is used to demonstrate the action.

At 1,000 volts, Current = Volts/Ohms = 1,000/500 = 2 Amps
which can cause cardiac standstill and serious damage to internal
organs.

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 Electric Shock & the Human Body
30 volts is generally considered to be a conservative threshold value for
dangerous voltage. The cautious person should regard any voltage
above 30 volts as threatening, not relying on normal body resistance for
protection against shock. That being said, it is still an excellent idea to
keep one's hands clean and dry, and remove all metal jewelry when
working around electricity.

Even around lower voltages, metal jewelry can present a hazard by

conducting enough current to burn the skin if brought into contact
between two points in a circuit. Metal rings, especially, have been the
cause of more than a few burnt fingers by bridging between points in a
low-voltage, high-current circuit.

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Electric Shock & the Human Body

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