DIYbanter - View Single Post - UK question: ES light bulb better than bayonet?

In message .com,
writes
Both can, and sometimes do, kill, but the vast majority of people who
manage to connect themselves across either survive the experience. I've
had 240V about ten times, and 415 once, and I'm very much still here.
The last 'mishap' I had was about twenty years ago, and was caused by a
horrible Bakelite fitting which I hadn't noticed was cracked, and which
fell apart in my hands. Most of the others were the result of taking
things apart as a small child, and not taking care, exposing live contacts.

Oh dear. Before we start the macho bragging about how we can "take"
240V, bear in mind that the current flow is the real shock hazard and in
many instances we are lucky that there isn't an easy route to earth.
The only way you could get a 415 shock is if by touching two phases at
once. In most instances you'd get a shock sensation as soon as you
contacted one.

A current as low as 1mA (one thousandth of an amp) is enough to feel
distinctly with a single finger contact. 8mA will cause significant
muscle contraction and a shock sensation to extend the length of an arm.
30mA is the point where current flow to the feet causes asphyxiation by
involuntary contraction of the diaphragm. 100mA has a modest risk of
heart fibrillation. 1A is almost certain heart fibrillation generally
resulting in death if your heart can't be restarted within a short space
of time.

If you really feel you can handle mains then try the Tingle-tron project
on my website. I guarantee that at 8mA you'll be squealing like a pig.
That's about a quarter of the current it takes to light a small 8W plug
in night light.

Just to make sure everyone knows. You can pass enough current to earth
to be in serious trouble without an earth leakage breaker tripping. If
you make a contact across live and neutral (hot and return) then the
earth leakage breaker isn't even going to be bothered about how much
current you pass. It'll see you as a normal resistive load.

--
Clive Mitchell
http:/www.bigclive.com