Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

Laurie Durgin wrote:

> "OR how to blister your tongue"
>
> Well , it's true, fences do arc. I 'always' unplug my charger,(a 
> little 29$ one for goats, pigs and horses I get at home depot--not the 
> heavier duty one, thie one is ony for 5 miles of fence)
> But sometimes if just redoing a section of cross fence i just undo the 
> nearest handle.
> Well I was at the end of the property and on was on the last 
> connection. Ground was mushy from rain. I had on my nylon overpants 
> over my jeans. I had one metal standoff connector to put ont he t- 
> pole lower than the original ,cause the donkey will go under the upper 
> wire to get to the sotred hay. I didn't want to walk the 500 ft. to 
> unplug, so I took the handle off .
> I got on my knees, looked at the upper connection which was hot and 
> sid, "ok, it's 18" above my head, be careful" --So I crouched down 
> almost sitting- I take the 4" cotter pin and put it in my mouth( 
> something I usually won't do) cause I take both hands and put them 
> through the field fence around the pole, I have to put this steel 
> standoff with a plastic end that holds the metal fence wire (no wire 
> in it) around the T-pole and slide the cotter pin thru it, bending it 
> so it is snug on the t-pole and the wire then standes off the electrid 
> fence about 5-6 ".
> Last thing I remember is as I put the connecter touching the pole is 
> my forehead touching the pole, I couldn't see, I could feel 
> electricity going thru my forehead, I could feel it going thru my 
> mouth and I could even feel my metal fillings ( I had lots of cavities 
> as a child)-- I heard "let go" and shove myself off the fence line as 
> I screamed. I could hardly breathe,a nd couldn't move for a few 
> minutes. Was flat on the ground. I took my pulse (P& R training -thank 
> you ridecamp) .Fast , but steady.I told myself, it's only 110, and you 
> are healthy, your'e ok> Managed after a few minutes to get up and walk 
> in. Even though husband and sons were home, they wouldn't miss me till 
> they got hungry ;0) Got in a bit breathless and hubby who is a First 
> Responder , told sons, she's ok if she could walk in...Thanks dear! no 
> sympathy here. I could feel my tongue burned though and sure enough I 
> had 3 blisters on it on one side--like bad coffee burns...
> Moral of the story, yes I guess it really can arc, dont' work on 
> fences ever if on! and especially on wet ground and metal fence and 
> poles. thank goodness for AC, clurse it was plugged into a GFI, but 
> guess I didn't hang on long enough for it to go back to the GRI 500 
> ft. away!
I ducked under a electric tape on a protable correl one time. Little did 
I know that the tape lay on my temple as the pulse shot through the 
line. Put me to my knees - which might explain a lot.

The GFI would have most likely not have mattered in your case. You got a 
shot of probably 5000 volts of a very short pulse "DC." Don't fear it 
very low current and it's the current that kills - unless of course you 
wear a pacemaker. But next time do yourself a favor - in a rain storm 
don't lick your electric fence. ;-)

Seriously always shut off the electricity prior to messing with anything 
that carries any electricity.

Truman


--

“It doesn't matter how beautiful your theory is, it doesn't matter how 
smart you are. If it doesn't agree with experiment, it's wrong” Richard 
Feynman



=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.
Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp
Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp

Ride Long and Ride Safe!!

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=