Oh yeah, my big one is that I’ve been electrocuted so often that I’ve basically learned how to tell voltages by feel. 110V is barely the jalapeño of voltages. When you get over 1kV then it’s got some real spice. One of my favorite safety convorsations was when I was a test tech in a factory and I had to talk to our production workers about sneaking into the test lab to ask us questions.
Basically I just said “Every tech that works in the test room has been zapped at least once. There are open electrical panels and live circuits all over the place. We all know exactly what to watch out for and it still happens to us. If one of us techs gets zapped then it’s just Tuesday. Its just a hazard of our job plus we know how to mitigate it and what symptoms to watch out for. But if one of you guys gets zapped then you’re getting an immediate trip to the ER and your chest shaved for an ECG to make sure you don’t die. But more importantly, then I have to do paperwork and explain to management why you were in the test lab.”
There’s also a time I got a lungfull of hydrogen flouride. Also the time I nearly blacked out next to a liquid nitrogen dewar. Trades are fucking great.
Lol. That’s basically what my hydrogen flouride exposure was like. In my defence I normally work on new equipment and had never personally dealt with a burnout before.
Me to myself: “Why did the refrigerant smell sour when I bled my lines?”
Me: Sniffs a bit more refrigerant.
Me to myself: “That’s so weird, this refrigerant should be odorless but that definitely smelled sour.”
Me: Sniffs a bit more refrigerant just to be sure.
My brain finally: Burnt refrigerant makes hydrogen flouride + Hydrogen flouride makes hydroflouric acid when it touches water + there is water in my sinuses and the air + acids smell sour and taste sour + that refrigerant smelled sour = I’m a dumbass who just snorted hydrogen flouride.
Me to my coworker: “This unit is acid contaminated and I’m gonna run to the hospital real quick.”
Exactly, unless you’re especially well grounded 110V usually only zings a bit and might leave your arm a bit sore. You just need to be sure you aren’t well grounded. If you happen to be touching a good ground with your other hand when you touch 110V though then you’re in for a bad time. That’s why you always use the one hand rule inside a live electrical compartment.
But going phase to phase on 240V is where you actually start getting launched across the room (saw my boss do that one). And touching a live hi pot tester lead (1kV+) feels appropriately like getting tazed.
Oh yeah, my big one is that I’ve been electrocuted so often that I’ve basically learned how to tell voltages by feel. 110V is barely the jalapeño of voltages. When you get over 1kV then it’s got some real spice. One of my favorite safety convorsations was when I was a test tech in a factory and I had to talk to our production workers about sneaking into the test lab to ask us questions.
Basically I just said “Every tech that works in the test room has been zapped at least once. There are open electrical panels and live circuits all over the place. We all know exactly what to watch out for and it still happens to us. If one of us techs gets zapped then it’s just Tuesday. Its just a hazard of our job plus we know how to mitigate it and what symptoms to watch out for. But if one of you guys gets zapped then you’re getting an immediate trip to the ER and your chest shaved for an ECG to make sure you don’t die. But more importantly, then I have to do paperwork and explain to management why you were in the test lab.”
There’s also a time I got a lungfull of hydrogen flouride. Also the time I nearly blacked out next to a liquid nitrogen dewar. Trades are fucking great.
“We’ve gotta get everyone outta here and vent the area, there’s a gas leak.”
“Wait, how can you tell?”
“I just got a pain behind my right eye and temple.”
Turns out, there was a gas leak.
Lol. That’s basically what my hydrogen flouride exposure was like. In my defence I normally work on new equipment and had never personally dealt with a burnout before.
Me to myself: “Why did the refrigerant smell sour when I bled my lines?”
Me: Sniffs a bit more refrigerant.
Me to myself: “That’s so weird, this refrigerant should be odorless but that definitely smelled sour.”
Me: Sniffs a bit more refrigerant just to be sure.
My brain finally: Burnt refrigerant makes hydrogen flouride + Hydrogen flouride makes hydroflouric acid when it touches water + there is water in my sinuses and the air + acids smell sour and taste sour + that refrigerant smelled sour = I’m a dumbass who just snorted hydrogen flouride.
Me to my coworker: “This unit is acid contaminated and I’m gonna run to the hospital real quick.”
Yeah, the fun part was this was way underground. The line up for the lift was as painful as you could imagine.
Well there a bit YouTube show idea right there.
Hot ones but it’s jamming forks into different electrical outlets to see how many volts you’re willing to take.
There was a youtuber who did something similar but it was more “how many car batteries can this wrench take?” The answer is 1.
That’s just ElecroBoom
people think I’m crazy when I say 110 aint bad but it really isn’t (usually). And I haven’t even had the displeasure of meeting any higher voltages
Exactly, unless you’re especially well grounded 110V usually only zings a bit and might leave your arm a bit sore. You just need to be sure you aren’t well grounded. If you happen to be touching a good ground with your other hand when you touch 110V though then you’re in for a bad time. That’s why you always use the one hand rule inside a live electrical compartment.
But going phase to phase on 240V is where you actually start getting launched across the room (saw my boss do that one). And touching a live hi pot tester lead (1kV+) feels appropriately like getting tazed.
I once slipped on a mop puddle and when reaching for purchase jammed my thumb in an exposed electric socket.
i almost went into fab construction instead of IT and i think you’ve just convinced me that i made the right choice. lol
Hey, my job is a death trap and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.
mine too but only because i suspect that i’m trapped here until i die. lol