Was present during electrical testing of portable appliances last week. When the switch on the box was flicked, I felt a terrible electric surge through my body although I was standing about a foot away from the apparatus & not touching the bench the machine was on. It was truely awful - felt as if I was being pulled into the ground plus the pain of the shock. My left hand went numb & my arm was painful for a further 12 hours. I had to go to hospital as I have an internal defibrillator implanted for my heart but thankfully, this was not damaged. However, no one is able to explain to me what could have happened. It was a scary & nasty experience & I'd feel better to know what occurred. Any thoughts from you electrical guys appreciated. Thanks.
2007-03-12 07:04:48 · 5 answers · asked by Anonymous in Consumer Electronics ➔ Other - Electronics
Thank you for your answers so far. No - the floor wasn't wet. I hear that everyone seems to think that what I experienced was not possible - but it DID happen to me & I'd really like to know why. Is it possible that there was some frequency or magnetic field that might have caused the symptoms. The defibrillator isn't faulty, didn't discharge & I certainly didn't have a heart attack. The problem started the second the guy turned the machine on & it felt as if I was being pulled into the ground with severe pains through my body - particularly centred from my defibrillator.
2007-03-12 11:22:30 · update #1
Update - it's been suggested to me that the problem is the high frequency alarm emitting something that has resonated with my defibrillator causing the symptoms I experienced. How does this sound to you?
2007-03-13 10:01:18 · update #2
It sounds that you Heart Rate Regulator/ Pace Maker was effected by EMF Radiation (Spike), possibly produced by the Product being tested rather than the PAT Tester Unit. Some products can under certain circumstances produce radio waves on a frequency that is outside the designed range. This frequency is sometimes a multiple of the usual modulation frequency. This can cause problems with older medical implants, but not usually modern units. The only advice that is currently given, is not to put a mobile phone in your chest pocket and to try to use your ear on the opposite side to the implant location.
2007-03-16 11:32:33 · answer #1 · answered by WavyD 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You what? You weren't touching it but it electrocuted you? You are talkign about 100s of thousands of volts then, it takes that to 'jump' through space. And quite frankly, I wouldn't have thought a portable applience could possibley supply such power, in fact I am certain they are capped at 24,000 volts, which in no way could reach you if you were feet away. Otherwise this is simpley NOT possible. Unless your internal fibrillater malfunctioned but your symptoms sound like those of a heart attack not an electric shock. Electrics where humans are are geared so if you hit by volts you do not seize up and continue to get hit by current, they throw you off them for safety.
2007-03-12 07:12:57 · answer #2 · answered by CHARISMA 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A standard PAT tester churns out about 3000V maximum. Difficult to say what happened as it appears you weren't part of the circuit unless you were inadvertantly touching the unit under test. PAT testers don't radiate in any way so it wouldn't be radio. If you had your hands in your pockets and were wearing rubber soled shoes then it's utterly baffling.
2007-03-12 07:12:51 · answer #3 · answered by Del Piero 10 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You should have your internal defibrillator checked. The voltage in it is very low, and the likelihood of it failing is very minimal, but in all instances you never know.
2007-03-20 06:28:15 · answer #4 · answered by icaito 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Was the floor wet?
2007-03-12 07:13:04 · answer #5 · answered by taxed till i die,and then some. 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋