Electrical injury

Electric shock (electrical injury) can occur when two electrical wires touch simultaneously; in most cases, one of the poles is grounded, and touching the ungrounded pole with good contact with the ground is sufficient (water, wet shoes, soles on nails, wet soil). The severity of the injury is determined by the strength and direction of the current, and the duration of exposure. General manifestations when exposed to low voltage current (less than 500 V) are more pronounced than when exposed to high voltage current (more than 1000 V); local manifestations are more pronounced when exposed to high voltage current.

Symptoms The general effect of the current is a sharp convulsive contraction of the muscles of the limb that was in contact with the current. With high voltage and current strength - loss of consciousness, respiratory arrest, arrhythmia, atrial fibrillation, cardiac asystole, and sometimes myocardial fibrillation.

Disturbances in cardiac activity are possible several days after exposure to current (ECG), as well as thrombosis of the vessels of the affected limb. Sometimes the victim may be thrown away from the site of injury, resulting in severe damage to bones and internal organs.

Local manifestations are caused by the conversion of electrical energy into thermal energy with the development of burns. At the point where the current enters and exits, holey round “current marks” are formed, the center of which has a third-degree burn or may even be charred. These electrical marks are surrounded by skin, torn in the form of a honeycomb (tissue fluid explodes when the current is applied).

The diagnosis is made based on inspection of the scene of the incident and the presence of “current marks”.

Treatment is urgent. Relief from the action of current, in case of respiratory and cardiac arrest - artificial respiration, closed cardiac massage. In all cases, emergency hospitalization.

Treatment of burns according to general principles. Complications. Myoglobinuria, with widespread breakdown of muscle tissue, anuria is possible.

The prognosis is always very serious, especially in elderly and senile people.

Prevention. Compliance with safety precautions at work, proper condition of household electrical appliances, supervision of children at home.

Electrical insulation and insulation

The process of discharge (extraction) of gas in a discharge system (ionizer) is a very complex process, where the evaporated area and the place of deposition are separated by a certain column of gas. To electrically insulate the spark gap, a spark gap or arc gap is required.

According to the mechanism of electric shock to a person, two forms of electrical injury are distinguished: - injury from direct contact of a person with live parts energized by 220 V or higher; - indirect injury - damage when a person touches non-current-carrying and non-insulated parts of an electrical installation or through the ground. In addition, under all conditions of a person’s presence (on the ground and underground) and exposure to induced voltage, combined electrical injuries are possible. What is electropathy?

Electrical and Life Safety

Electrical safety is an issue that everyone must address, both in terms of human health and safety, as well as protection from fires and equipment damage. Hazard results from electrical current which may result in electric shock. It is therefore important to protect people not only where access is required, but also in temporary structures. All work at height must be carried out only in accordance with approved designs and instructions. At a safe distance, the arrangement of areas of electrical installations, places for installing grounding (preventing sparks), as well as performing work using remote control should be planned. Installation of exhaust ventilation is necessary, since electrical dust is heavier than air, which increases its accumulation and the likelihood of the formation of explosive concentrations. Clear fire safety programs must be developed in the premises, reflecting the work procedure and special means to ensure electrical safety. Each work area must be marked with signs and posters that warn of the dangers associated with electrical work. Specifications should include information on types of installations and rules for using conductors. No less important is the statistics of disasters. Sometimes in construction zones, up to 80% of work-related accidents occur, all of which are associated with erroneous actions of workers. IN