wrote:

On Sun, 1 Oct 2017 11:27:51 -0000 (UTC), Cursitor Doom
wrote:

Gentlemen,

I've just come up with a very simple idea to massively improve safe-
working in high voltage cabinets where testing has to be done live.The
main thing we need to avoid is suffering a shock where the current passes
through or nearby the heart. This is *most* shocks when you're fiddling
about inside such environments with both hands. I'm proposing to
short-out both wrists using a metallic bracelet on each, tied to one
another via a couple of
feet of light, flexible cable. So for example if you're prodding around
with your right hand whilst somehow touching the chassis with your left
and you touch something live, the current will only flow through your
hands and wrists rather than up your arms and across your chest. And
that's all there is to it.
Now, where have I gone wrong? (I must have done somewhere!)

I would have though that for added safety you would need to ground
your connecting wire so it removes the resistance of one wrist and set
of fingers , a wire dragging around is almost bound to snag on
something sometime and pull a hand onto something live that if it were
free would have stayed clear so it doesn't actually sound that
practical. better not to allow any current through in the first place
and wear insulating gloves.

G.Harman

I would think that the very last thing you would want to be putting in a
high voltage cabinet would be an earthed metal object. You want
personal electrical insulation, flash protection and burn protection.
But, above all, a very clear idea what you want to touch and what you
don't want to touch. And if you are measuring anything as opposed to
just turning it on or off then test prods on long insulated holders.
One at a time fixed in place. And turning things on and off is
probably best done with a long insulated thing.

Main rule I would follow is don't go near them unless you have to and
have a very clear idea what you are going to do and which bit is which.
It it gets to the stage of trying to divert a high voltage from one hand
to the other via an alternative path then you have already lost; and you
certainly don't want it to be a low resistance path.


--

Roger Hayter