Have any "zap" stories?

[graygun]

Member wunbe's broken-off light bulb topic is inspiration for this.


From 89-99 I worked on flight sims at Randolph AFB. They had Parker Hannifin motion systems...3-phase power. Power was located in more than one location and we'd shut down only two of the three sources. The other tech and I were replacing a contactor (no-start situation) when he said he got hit on the top of his hand(lucky). We eventually found and de-energized that source. :oops:

 

[Doc Holliday]

The only 'zap' story I have is when I took such a charge that my arm instinctively pulled back, slicing a flap open along the top of my arm from the sheet metal edge I had reached past while the circuit was still energized. Hospital. Stitches. Still have the scar.

 

[coach]

No me personnely but I just happened to be watching an electrician on a ladder working on 277 volt light fixtures when a big grunt came out of him and he went flying off the ladder. Lucky for him it was a 6’ ladder and he didn’t have far to fall. While I know he was hurting I think he was more embarrassed. Not really sure though because he was a bit dazed.

 

[Pal Val]

I was removing the bulb in an outside fixture, and it broke. Using a screwdriver to loosen the base, I found out that the power was "hot" when the electric arc melted the screwdriver and gave me nasty burns in my index finger and the back of my right hand. I was lucky to fall on a bush and not on the hard ground. That was 40 years ago. The scars remind me not to try that again. Funny, but I don't recall falling. It all happened too fast.

 

[Big Old Boy]

I worked on a neighbors farm as a teenager he had a light bulb on the electric panel so we could see the light switch and fuse panel, being the first one in the milk house one early morning the light was out I thought maybe the bulb was lose as it turned out bulb was gone and my fingers were in the socket. I’m sure I’m not the only one here that was a country kid, did you ever pee on an electric fence by mistake now that will get your attention it did mine, I threw the gate wire in the hedges and did not see the old fence on the ground.

 

[Colonialgirl]

Then there's the OLD joke about the electrician with an apprentice; after several months, the electrician had to take a day off and the next thing he knew his apprentice was in the hospital.
He went to see his apprentice in the Hospital and asked : What happened, How did you get shocked after all the training?
Well, Said the apprentice, I did EXACTLY like you; I STOOD MY LEFT LEG and then grabbed hot wire and the next thing I knew, I woke here in the hospital.

DANG KID; Didn't you KNOW that my left leg is WOODEN?

 

[jimbo1096]

When I was in High School my Dad got a call from a neighbor that the light was out in their carport and could he help? They were senior citizens and the wife was afraid her husband wouldn't be able to see when he pulled in. After he retired from the USAF, Dad was a local handyman, and kept himself busy working around the house and helping the neighbors. He asked if I could do the deed that night because it has started to rain, one of those brief summer storms we get down here in Louisiana. With a spare bulb in hand I took off running in the rain and two houses down entered their carport. It was a metal freestanding cover not attached to the house and I just barely couldn't reach the bulb. I found a metal ladder leaning against the wall and used it to climb up to the fixture, an open bulb and porcelain lamp holder. As soon as I reached up to the old lamp, some giant with a space ray gun shot me and my hand clinched around that bulb, my arms and legs drew up into a fetal position with me hanging there from the underside of that canopy. After what seemed like an eternity, my grip slipped off that wet bulb and I came crashing to the ground, butt first, knees up touching my nose and I didn't remember a thing for ten minutes, not even where I was or what I was doing , just laid there on the ground twitching like a spastic fool. I finally did recover enough to get the neighbor to tun the light switch off, and change the bulb, but never did tell my Dad what had happened, even when he asked why I was gone so long. I was too embarrassed. But I have never changed a light bulb in the rain off a metal ladder again! My back still hurts to this day.

 

[Bob Wright]

I was in Korea with the Army and was asked to wire up a hooch, a Quonset hut. I had to splice into wires already strung. I used my lineman's pliers, protected with tape, to hook over the wire to break the insulation. The tape didn't go quite all the way to the end of the handles. Now I had the strung wire pulled down somewhat, and when I crushed the insulation and those pliers contacted the bare wire, I got zapped in the palm of my hand. My pliers and that wire sort of made a drawn bow-and-arrow situation, and when I abruptly released those pliers, they shot out across the company street.

Bob Wright

 

[Dave P.]

I've been shocked a few times pretty good but only have one sorta "good" story.
I grew up welding and the summer after I got done playing junior hockey I was
working to earn collage money. Got a job at a shop tig welding stainless assemblies
prior to them being machined. Quality and appearance was real important. We got paid
a base wage plus a per piece bonus, any scraped parts killed the bonus.
Been there maybe a month and a few "older" guys were a major pain in the
butt....just mean and nasty toward everybody new.
One of them took a tig torch and zapped me on the back of the neck, now it won't
really do any damage but 10,000 to maybe 15,000 volts at almost no amperage
does not feel good. Of course it screwed up the bead I was running when I jumped.
I was pretty pissed but basically told him not to ever do that again....he laughed.
Well about 15 minutes later I heard thing get a little quiet and sense someone behind
me....zap....did it again.
I wear a "stick" glove on my torch hand, the nice thick heavy leather kind. I spun and hit
him absolutely perfect, got my whole body into it. Landed right on lower front of his jaw,
people 50 feet away could hear the crack. His helmet went flying and when he hit the
floor went all rigid...his feet were actually not touching the ground for maybe 15-20 seconds.
Management called an ambulance and the police, hauled him in the ambulance and the police
spent about 90 minutes talking to me and the other employees, some who "saw nothing".
Both of us were fired the next day and I had another police interview. No charges were filed.
Now the best part was about 10 days later, one of the owners called and asked if I would
work for them as a outside vendor. He was real nice about it explained how they couldn't
have me as a employee but I would be a "supplier". Worked out real well.
The owner told me they should have fired him a long time ago.
Talking to another welder I found out the @#%s jaw was broken in several places and had
a bunch of teeth screwed up. I did break the middle metacarpal bone in my had but it only
really hurt for about a week or so.
A few people told me he was going to sue me but I never was.
Dave

 

[tinman]

Having been "thunderstruck" a few times as a kid, I have always maintained that electricity is nothing but pure magic so I try not to mess with it anymore than absolutely required for the situation. My best story is about when as children, my brothers and I were down at the grandparents farm. We were out "exploring" in one of the fields when one of us had to take a leak. Being boys, that turned into a communal event, with all of us standing in a row seeing who could pee the furthest. It was about that time that my youngest brother (maybe 5-6 years old) peed directly on the electric fence. His arms flung straight out to the front and his entire body shot straight back about 4 feet........so much for the theory that humans can't fly.

 

[bogus bill]

Just a old family story that probably took place in the 1930`s. My dad had two older cousins, brothers that did a lot of electric work together. One was suppose to shut off the electricity and the other, working on a roof gave him what he thought was ample time. It wasn't! He got knocked off the roof! He went to our same church and when I was a boy and back in the late 1940`s and early 1950`s heard him give his testimony in church several times. He said he grabbed the wires and clear as day several angels grabbed him under the arms and was flying up towards heaven! He claimed he shouted, "God take care of my family!" And then came to laying on the ground!

 

[Fox Mike]

NIKE HERCULES ECCM console. Was replacing a 7" crt. Asked my console operator to verify voltage to that part of the system was "off". He flipped the switch and told me it was off. I reached in and grabbed the wire to the tube. Next I remember I am laying on the floor about 5 ' from the console. REALLY got my attention. Seems he 'flipped' the switch but did NOT verify it was truly 'off'. We had a long talk about verification when I regain my senses.

 

[blume357]

Been zapped with house current a number of times... first time I was about 10 and grounded myself out using my fathers old aluminum framed hand held saw which I plugged in backwards..... house current is not that bad...

but here's the real crux.... I've been the ground for dissipating a static charge during a serious rain storm three times..... figure that one out.... it's like being hit with a axe handle.

 

[Mike J]

The worst I have ever been hit was back around 2001 or 2002. We were working on a renovation at the CDC. They tore out the old ceilings but left most of the old conduit & some of the trapeze hangers the ceilings had been hung off of. We demo'd the duct work & were just starting to put the new in. I and my working partner were feeding a piece of TDC duct (square duct with a flange & corners for bolts to go through) through the framework that was in the way. We got it up & I shoved my drift pin through the corner to line it up my elbow pushed against a piece of conduit. I saw a bright light. I tried to pull off but couldn't. I kicked the ladder out from under myself to get off of it. It turns out the conduit I pushed against had come loose on down the line. When my elbow pushed against it it cut into the wires & became energized.

 

[contender]

Well,,, while most of these stories involve household electric events,, I have an odd one.

I used to do a lot of odd commercial scuba diving jobs. Most were minor things. A golf course called me,, asking if I could plug an intake pipe,, so a leaking seal could be replaced. About 6-7 ft deep underwater.
No problem.
I got there,,, got with the maintenance supervisor,, got the plug & all. As I was suiting up,, I got in the edge of the pond,, to get myself & the wetsuit wet, to make putting it on easier. As I was doing so,, I got a slight "tingle" in my extremities. I wondered what the heck? Well, after I got my suit on,, I donned my mask,, and went to snorkel over to look at things,, and as I got closer,, the tingle became very distinct. There was a dead fish on the intake.
I backed away,, surfaced,, and looked around. Next to the pump house,, was a power pole, with a transformer on it. Somewhere in this set-up was a hot wire to the pump intake pipe. If I had touched it,,,,,,,, hoo-wee!
I climbed out, we called the local energy company, and the local plumbers left,, thinking the electric company would take forever to come out. Nope,, they were there QUICKLY,, and killed the power. I checked things again,, all was good, and the power company said to call them when the leak was repaired,, and that they'd send out a specialty team to determine why the pipe was "hot."
I sat on my butt,, (on the clock,,) for over 2 hours waiting on the plumbers. When the maintenance guy came around,, I asked him to show me the leaking joint. he did,, I took one look at it & told him what tools I needed. He got them, I repaired the leak,, and was undressing, after removing my wetsuit,, after the whole job was finished when the plumbers returned.
In front of them,, I told the maintenance guy,, "I'll be giving y'all my bill for scuba work, AND repair work,, and do not let them charge you for any work."
The head guy,, thanked me,, (paid me,) and said that he had the power company set up to be out there first thing the next day.

Luckily, it was a place where any potential accidents were unlikely but at least I knew enough to NOT touch it.


Now,, the guy who helps me in my critter business,, he's been struck by lightning a few times. So far,, none severe enough to require hospitalization,, but he RUNS from lightning & thunder.

 

[Jeepnik]

Gosh countless little ones. I learn slow. Seriously some stuff you just end up working hot.

Only time I got near lightening was back in the 70's. The FD used to change aircraft arresting barriers around as needed when the barrier maintenance folks were either busy or at home. One weekend the tower ask us to reconfigure the BAK-9 BAK-12 AND THE M1-A1 arresting barrier. Basically this was two cables at either end of the runway to engage the tailhook and a last ditch webbed net to catch the AC's front gear if the pilot missed both or had a hook problem.

The setup was changed whenever the landing direction of the aircraft was changed. So the tower calls and out we go. We are in are crash trucks about 75 feet from the M1-A1 when the cable takes a lightning strike. Close enough that you could feel your skin crawl.

Smart troops we were we called the tower and told them go to hell and that we were returning to the station. So the genius' in the tower ask who was going to do it. We invited them to go for it. No more radio communication was had.

 

[RoninPA]

It is said that if you work around energized circuits and have never gotten "bit" you haven't been working. It's gonna happen, no matter how careful you are. Murphy is always waiting for the opportunity :D

 

[Rick Courtright]

Then there's the OLD joke about the electrician with an apprentice; after several months, the electrician had to take a day off and the next thing he knew his apprentice was in the hospital.
He went to see his apprentice in the Hospital and asked : What happened, How did you get shocked after all the training?
Well, Said the apprentice, I did EXACTLY like you; I STOOD MY LEFT LEG and then grabbed hot wire and the next thing I knew, I woke here in the hospital.

DANG KID; Didn't you KNOW that my left leg is WOODEN?

Hi,

That story must be part of Navy training, as I heard a variant of it at a very early age from my father! At the time, he was working for a civilian contractor attached to the Navy, and spent quite a bit of time at sea with "the guys." I was 8 or 9 when he came home with that one. And it's still good! Especially as much of the day was spent outside, watching the guys from the power company replace a pole some drunk tried to cut down last night with a Ford Expedition. He almost made it--probably shoulda used an Excursion!

Anyway, no power for several hours resulted in plenty of time to watch other people work! But nobody got zapped.

Best I can remember--I've gotten buzzed a time or two--was the time I went to disconnect the battery in a buddy's car when we were in college and I carelessly hit the positive terminal with a wrench before the negative was undone. Nice sparks and a decent stripe across the palm of my hand for a couple of weeks were the result. Although I can be a slow learner, one generally doesn't need more than one lesson to learn some things! I caught on quickly that day... :oops:

Rick C

 

[SAJohn]

When working on AC lines always obey the one hand rule. If you use two hands and something goes wrong, you will lock on and the current will go through your heart. Next, you will be standing in line waiting to meet St. Peter.

Although a rare event, I once saw a car with a downed power line draped atop it. I yelled at the occupant not to try to get out of his vehicle. If he had put a foot to the ground while touching any frame metal, he would have been toast.

Has any of you been hit by lighting or know anyone who has? That must be the mother of all zaps.

John

 

[tinman]

Has any of you been hit by lighting or know anyone who has? That must be the mother of all zaps.
John

Not me, but I was in the vicinity of a couple.....the one that sticks in my mind is from when I was in the Army. We were setting up a gun battery in a pretty severe storm. The commo guy comes running by, laying wire from each gun emplacement back to the FDC tent. He gets just past my gun when lighting hits a tree right next to him. Well sir, that bolt came down the side of that pine tree throwing bark all over the place, hits the ground making a small crater around the base, and then connects with the wire laying on the ground nearby. The commo guy never saw it coming, he still had that spool of wire in his hands when we found him thrown up into the bed of a Gamma Goat. He did get some decent burns on his hands and spent a few days in the hospital but I don't remember any lasting effects.

 

[Bob Wright]

Has any of you been hit by lighting or know anyone who has? That must be the mother of all zaps.

John

Well, now that you bring that up: I was in Emporia, Kansas back in my working days, making field notes at a soybean processing plant. This was in February, and very cold, with a stout north wind blowing. I was on my way from my motel room, driving through town, when I saw one man wearing only slacks and a Tee shirt, everybody else clad with parkas and really bundled up.

When I got to the mill, I asked some of the workers there about what I had seen. They told me he had been struck by lightning some time ago and no longer felt any sensation of cold.

Bob Wright

 

[Bob Wright]

Incidentally, at the Springfield Armory Museum, there is a Civil War musket with the barrel bent and twisted and some of the wood shattered. A yankee soldier was on guard duty at the armory during a rainstorm and a lightning bolt struck his rifle. As I recall, he survived.

Bob Wright

 

[SamV]

I must be a klutz. Too many zaps to inventory. My personal favorite one was working under my car late one evening outside . I was on my back and reached over to bring the work light closer. Apparently there was a crack in the insulation and I grabbed it there. Lots of muscles contracting rapidly under a car hurts. Both legs came up slamming my knees into the chasis. Arms flailed upward hitting whatever. And the best part, upper body contraction slamming my head into the front bumper, back when they were real bumpers. Instantly saw it coming but unable to stop the head slam. OTOH, I momentarily knocked myself out, probably causing me to release the wire. Lots of bruises and aches and a bloodied forehead. Woohoo fun times!

 

[exavid]

I must be very lucky. In 30 years of working for the FAA as an electronic technician on communications, NAVAIDS, and radar I've never been really zapped. When working with high voltage systems I was religious in wearing electrician's gloves and when that wasn't appropriate I always tried to use the old "one hand for the job and one in your pocket."

 

[Taterman]

As an electrician for 20 years, I've been hit many times. The worst was when I trusted someone that the 277v was shut off where I was working. Getting hit with that was way worse than 120v. I was on a ladder, but somehow made it down. Sat on a curb outside and told someone to get me a smoke. Unfortunately that was almost 30 years ago and I still smoke.

I was on the way to work several years ago, and stopped at a light. Somehow a goose flew into a power lined running along the and man what a loud bang. The smoldering pile of goose plopped down right on the road next to me. The loud bang and flash of light from it was a real eye opener too, better then any coffee.

 

[Pyromike]

Just a few days ago one of our workers (20) was wiring a new construction house. He was installing the light switches and didn't want to keep going to the basement to kill the breakers. I watched him for about 20 minutes and couldn't help but laugh every time his hand jerked back and he dropped 'F' bombs.

Will never forget when young was at a friends house. We went out to the horse pasture. We were on opposite sides of the 'Wire'. I started swinging a metal chain; of course hit the wire and got a poke. The wire snapped back and hit him in the crotch. He spent a few minutes curled up on the ground and I couldn't stop laughing.

 

[BearBio]

Lots of them but the weirdest/funniest was when I was in college and managed a pet store. I saw a flash of light and turned around to see a friend lying on the floor. He had been teasing an electric ell while standing on a metal stepladder that was on a wet floor (No rubber bumpers of course!). Something distracted him and he didn't get his hand out fast enough! That was the first time I fired him!

 

[contender]

The question was asked about folks getting hit by lightning.

I mentioned in my post about the guy who helps me.

He used to be a full time carpenter. he's been hit a few times. Once, with nails in his mouth,, lightning hit the ground somewhere close,, and his teeth got jarred good & shook up.
Another time,, he got zapped out of his shoes, and once,,, knocked into the lake.

He's been hit 3 times.

He HATES lightning,, and heads for the truck when a storm approaches.

 

[dougader]

We mostly had incidents with the electric fence that surrounded our fields, keeping the steers in. Accidentally bump into it while mowing, etc. This was in the late 60s to early 70s. I don't know if electric fences were stronger back then or not, but even with the intermittent surges, it killed an adult squirrel that fell onto the wire.

If plants grew up around the wire, the fence would ground out. My Dad would ask if the wire was hot and I wouldn't touch it, but my cousin would. I "tricked" him into it the first time, saying to touch with this old soda pop can, which were steel back then. He laid that can on the wire and had no reaction. I asked him if he could feel anything and he said, "just a little tingle." So I thought the fence must be grounded out. LOL. I grabbed the can from him and laid it across the wire. The jolt went up my arm and then who knows where and I yelped like a kicked dog.

My cousin was just not bothered by electricity.

The steers would get out and, of course, my brothers and I were the ones charged with getting them back into the field and - usually - out of the garden. It would make me mad, the stupid animals. So I'd tempt them up to their feed trough by banging a coffee can of grain on the side of the trough. They'd come meandering up, sensing I was mad. I once put some grain on the end of a wooden handled shovel and held it out for the offending steer. The wood handle of the shovel carefully placed on top of the electric fence wire. Man, even in the middle of a clear summer day you could see the blue arc from the tip of the shovel jump to that steer's wet nose!

We didn't get along well after that until he was grilled up and on my plate in the form of a ribeye steak.

 

[Ka6otm]

I was flying a U-Control model airplane, a nobler, year a 44,000 volt power line. It was snowing and I passed too close, probably within a few feet and the electricity arced over to the braided steel lines, down the lines and in through my right hand.

Exited from my left and right feet. I now have around 144 square inches of skin grafts.

I was young and stupid, around 14 and really ticked off at my brother and that's what happens when you do things when mad and you're not thinking.

I'm retired now, have been for a while and realize how lucky I was.