ECN Forum Forums Safety Discussion and News Safety News and Product Recalls My first experiance of being zapped

Let's see I was only in the trade for about 3 weeks.At the time I was working for an old timmer his name was mr. burns!!! Any how we were working in a bank on the lighting 277v I was working in a junction box (5s box)mr.burns tells me " do you see them white wires there " I said yes I do he said they are dead go ahead and put them together.Well I did not know at the time use a tester never trust another persons word.With my elbow resting on the grid I went ahead and put all 8 of them together.That's when I first met god!! I could not let go !! There was a framer walking by and saw what was going on.He hit the ladder with a board to break me free..If it were not for him I would have been toast.Mr. burns never used a tester just his fingers.

Just a few days ago, Thursday, I think, I was installing fixtures in Spring House 9. While installing a sconce, I looked at the switch, saw that it was in the up position, flipped it down, a little voice in my head said "probe it" which I ignored... commenced to stripping the insulation on the black wire, and got the nastiest wet-handed hand to hand shock I have received in five or six years. My first thought was "3-Way, you idiot", I had wired the house myself! My hands were damp from a towelette from frequent washing of our hands to prevent fingerprints and dirt from becoming back-charges. Yesterday I was working late and had the main off and was still probing every box before stripping, cutting or pulling wirenuts off.

I also made sure I was wearing a shirt with a pocket to make the volt-probe ever-handy.

Stupid, stupid, stupid!

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Yes, I always check my probe on known live and dead circuits before trusting it at all, and I never fully trust it as with any metering device... Just trying to avoid obvious concerns over such...
</disclaimer>

Look at this thread for additional stories that are always good to review so that the same mistake is not made again!

I suppose properly rated gloves would be helpful if they were used.

What are the OSHA rules that are related to this subject?

George, oh George were are you??

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First rule of apprenticeship......Never trust anyone named Mr.Burns OUCH !!!