Electricity is part of everyday life on a mine site, which can make it easy to forget just how little it takes for something to go seriously wrong. This month we look at what actually happens when electricity meets the human body, and why even a shock that seems minor shouldn’t be brushed off.
So how much electricity does it actually take to hurt you?
There isn’t a simple number. The severity of an electric shock depends on the voltage, the amount and type of current, how long you’re in contact with it and the path the current takes through your body.
While voltage gets most of the attention, it’s the electrical current flowing through the body that causes injury. Current is measured in amperes, or more commonly milliamps when talking about electric shock. As little as a few milliamps can be felt, while higher currents can cause painful muscle contractions and make it difficult or impossible to let go of whatever is delivering the shock.
Where that current travels matters too. Current passing from one hand to another, or from one hand to a foot, may cross the chest and interfere with the electrical signals controlling the heart. It can also cause burns, damage nerves and internal tissues, affect breathing and cause muscles to contract involuntarily. The longer the current flows, the greater the potential for serious injury and, in severe cases, cardiac arrest.
Conditions can make a big difference. Wet skin has less resistance to electrical current, which matters on mine sites where water, mud, metal structures, portable electrical equipment and leads are all part of the working environment.
You don’t need to be working around high voltage for electricity to cause serious harm either. Low-voltage shocks can also be fatal if enough current passes through the body to disrupt the heart, and electrical incidents aren’t limited to electricians. Workers have been shocked while using power tools, welding, handling damaged leads and plugs, working in wet conditions and coming into contact with equipment thought to be isolated.
The risks don’t stop when you clock off.
Damaged power cords, faulty appliances, DIY electrical work, power tools, extension leads and electricity around water can all pose a risk at home. Even something as simple as pulling a plug out by the cord can damage it over time and expose live wiring. Damaged cords and appliances shouldn’t be used, and electrical work that requires a licensed electrician is definitely not the place to test out your YouTube DIY skills.
While the words are often used interchangeably, electric shock and electrocution aren’t quite the same thing. An electric shock occurs when electrical current passes through the body. Electrocution generally refers to death or serious injury caused by electricity.
Electrical injuries aren’t always visible, and walking away from a shock feeling okay doesn’t necessarily mean you are. A shock can affect the heart’s rhythm or cause internal damage without leaving much to see on the outside.
Whether it happens at work or at home, electricity doesn’t have to look dangerous to be dangerous.
| IF SOMEONE IS BEING SHOCKED Don’t touch someone who is still in contact with an electrical source – you could become part of the circuit too. Switch off the power if it is safe to do so and call Triple Zero (000) in an emergency. Even if the shock seems minor, seek medical assessment as electrical injuries aren’t always immediately obvious. |
