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This candian electrical engineer did a (imo pretty funny) video on how safe the UK domestic power supply infrastructure is.
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Arcing, the kind that's caused by a loose connection which is basically what's happening if you sever a cable is an incredible process to visualise.
This is why 18th has 'suggested' AFDD's now. The usual one it that IEE suggests you do this in current Regs. Then in the 19th Edition it'll become statuary.
Bobbo
Mr_Sworld
@Airhead
Arcing, the kind that's caused by a loose connection which is basically what's happening if you sever a cable is an incredible process to visualise. The energy is basically consuming the metal that is conducting it. I suppose I'm just a bit fascinated by welding but that's basically a more controlled version of that explosion.
I would have thought that greater amperage would hold a greater risk by a margin but LV can kill you for sure and after that it doesn't really matter how much you were killed :)
I'm not sure about the breakers that would operate on LV outside of properties. Certainly inside a house you are at incredibly low risk of death with a working RCD but sticking a shovel in an LV main does sound like the kind of thing that could easily burn you alive. You do hear about people surviving it though. I've seen video of a builder hitting one with a breaker. There were 2 of them near it and they both suffered terrible injuries, survived but I'm not sure they are working again.
I'm only theoretically interested, I'm not offering to try it out.