Electric shock hazard
- 1 February 1972
- journal article
- Published by Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) in IEEE Spectrum
- Vol. 9 (2) , 41-50
- https://doi.org/10.1109/mspec.1972.5218692
Abstract
A long-standing expert on electric-shock hazards summarizes the studies that determined the effective body impedance under varying conditions. He describes perception currents, reaction currents, let-go currents, and fibrillating currents. Turning to means for reducing low-voltage (120-240-volt) hazards, double insulation, shock limitation, isolation transformers, and the use of either high frequency or direct current are discussed for various environments. Macroshock is always a hazard in the home, in industry, and in the hospital. But the extreme vulnerability to microshock of patients with cardiac catheters, for example, requires special precautions in intensive-care and coronary-care units. Equipment such as the ground-fault interrupter (GFI) and a special isolation transformer are cited.Keywords
This publication has 5 references indexed in Scilit:
- Electricity in hospitals: elimination of lethal hazardsIEEE Spectrum, 1971
- Transistorized ground-fault interrupter reduces shock hazardIEEE Spectrum, 1970
- Reevaluation of Lethal Electric CurrentsIEEE Transactions on Industry and General Applications, 1968
- The Threshold of Perception Currents [includes discussion]Transactions of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers. Part III: Power Apparatus and Systems, 1954
- Effect of Frequency on Let-Go CurrentsTransactions of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers, 1943