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ELECTRICITY:
Caution is Imperative
Most of us have experienced an electrical shock in the
form of static electricity when we touch a metal doorknob after walking
briskly across the carpet. Multiply that tiny jolt of electricity 100
times………….in seconds you’re unable to move,
you find breathing difficult and suddenly impossible, you begin to feel
yourself slipping into total blackness. There are burns on your body where
the electricity has entered and then exited. The steady pulse of your heart
is now an erratic drumbeat and your vessels are being
squeezed……………..
An example of an electrical hazard which could cause the
responses described above is an oscillating fan either too close or in
direct contact with water and you pick it up to move it. Water is a perfect
conductor of electricity and so are you. How often have we heard of someone
suffering critical electrical shock when they reached out of the swimming
pool to turn the radio volume louder or change the CD? Electrical shock is
quite painful and is often deadly. The three most common mistakes people
make about electricity are:
1.
Underestimating the power of electricity
2.
Thinking that we are in complete control of electricity
3. Believing that if we get shocked,
we can pull away to avoid getting hurt or burned. We forget electricity
moves at the speed of light, making it impossible for a human being to pull
away from the circuit.
Should you
witness someone being shocked-do not attempt to touch them. Call 911
immediately.
Electricity locates the fastest path to the ground,
through any object-including the human body. As stated above, the best
conductor for electricity is water.
The human body is a prime conductor for electricity as it is made up
of 70% water.
Electricity is most often at our demand and in control
at the touch of our fingertips. Keeping this in mind, we must always
respect the power of electricity and never underestimate the power of
electricity, especially around water.
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