Re: accident at work

wigwam@xxxxxxxx wrote:

> Well, thanks for the answers. I didn't want to go deep in what I was
> doing, but I see it is obviously hard for you to understand without me
> explaining.
> The thing is I got shocked *WHILE TRYING* to make the fitting safe by
> unplugging it from the electric circuit (it is just a simple
> socket-type plug). This was really old emergency light fitting and it
> had 2 separate feeds switched-live and permanent-live (nowerdays they
> use just single 4-pin plug). So while holding the control gear and
> wires in my left hand so to not rip them out I tried to unplug it from
> the circuit. At this moment I got shocked *THROUGH* the cable
> insulation (!) (there are clear burn marks on it). I didn't have and
> could not possibly have ANY contact with live parts excepct for
> touching the other cable. I can say it is the same if you were
> unplugging your hover plug while holding the cable with the other hand.
> It is a common practise, but because of the age or other fault
> condition this time it ended this way.

The insulation must have been in a woeful state to get a shock 'through' the
insulation and presumably would have been very old VIR (vulcanised India
rubber) insulation. It does tend to be hard to believe that the visual
condition of the cable should not have given rise to suspicion. The only
other explanation I can think of is the the sheath insulation looked OK but
the insulation of the cores was so perished so as moving the cable caused a
short circuit inside the cable which ruptured the sheath. I would consider
this 'bad luck' but it all comes down to what is current accepted trade
practice when dealing with fittings of this nature, even those with plugs
and sockets that would be worked by tradespeople only - it would seem that
other comments suggest that the associated subcircuit should be isolated in
such cases.

.