Would touching electric wires from the mains, kill you?

[Waldo]

If you accidentally touched the 2 electric (mains) wires, that connect to a light fitting; just for a split second, yes, you'd presumably get a shock, but would it be bad enough to kill an healthy adult?

Edited April 1, 2015 by Waldo
changed 'and' to 'an'

[loraward]

If you accidentally touched the 2 electric (mains) wires, that connect to a light fitting; just for a split second, yes, you'd presumably get a shock, but would it be bad enough to kill and healthy adult?

 

One hand touching live and the other touching earth would very likley kill you, touching the live with your finger and earth with the elbow of the same arm would not.

 

If you are on ladder or chair it might make you fall off which might kill you.

[PaulMarshall]

My dad did this once, he thought he'd isolated the fitting but it was on a different circuit. He's still with us fortunately, said it hurt, a lot, so would advise avoiding!

[truman]

If you accidentally touched the 2 electric (mains) wires, that connect to a light fitting; just for a split second, yes, you'd presumably get a shock, but would it be bad enough to kill and healthy adult?

 

It all depends..after all birds don't die when they perch on the overhead cables.. (yes I do know why that is) but I wouldn't have thought so,I've managed to plug myself into the National Grid a couple of times and I'm still here but it will probably very from person to person.. I wouldn't recommend you try it..

[Gleadly]

Only an April Fool would try that!

[alchresearch]

Depends if the shock makes you recoil, and how good your heart is.

[Waldo]

Oh yeah, forgot it's April Fools! just for clarity, this was a genuine question. I don't plan on doing in, to see what happens!

 

My heart is pretty good (in a physical well-being sense). I normally have rubber soled trainers on, and I was not touching earth (like a radiator or anything that electricity could flow through me, and in to) when I accidentally touched a live wire (that may or may not have been live) just before I posted this thread.

 

It's a wonderful thing, isn't it, being alive?

[Cyclone]

Touching earth might be the safest thing to do, as it will trigger the RCD almost immediately.

Earthing through something else, ie the floor, will mean that the RCD is less likely to trigger.

And then as has already been mentioned, questions about your response are key. Sometimes muscles lock, meaning you stay connected to the current, other times they spasm, breaking the circuit quickly. If you clench and stay connected for any length of time then there is a good chance that it will kill you.

[GLASGOWOODS]

Last Xmas one of the female staff in the office plugged in the Xmas tree. She got a massive shock and was thrown to the ground. She was rushed to the hospital and stayed there for a couple of weeks seriously ill. After she had recovered she said she remembered lying on the floor in the office looking up at the only other staff member there at the time and saying to herself, "please look at me, I'm dying" The other person was totally oblivious to her perilous situation, but fortunately realised just in time! (probably sniffed the burning) The young lass lost feeling in her arm for a few weeks, but went on to make a full recovery. The doctor said if her colleague had taken any longer to react, she could've died.

[loraward]

Touching earth might be the safest thing to do, as it will trigger the RCD almost immediately.

Earthing through something else, ie the floor, will mean that the RCD is less likely to trigger.

And then as has already been mentioned, questions about your response are key. Sometimes muscles lock, meaning you stay connected to the current, other times they spasm, breaking the circuit quickly. If you clench and stay connected for any length of time then there is a good chance that it will kill you.

 

Assuming the property as an RCD and many don't.