preview

Electrical Shock Essay

Decent Essays

ZIAUDDIN COLLEGE OF PHYSICAL THERAPY

Electrical Shocks, Safety Measures, and Maintenance of Line-Powered Devices

Subject: physical agents & electrotherapy-I

I. BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
A. Electrical Shock
B. Line-Versus Battery-Powered Devices
C. Dangers Of Line Powered Devices
D. Physiological Damage
E. Purpose Of Chapter
II. GENESIS OF AN ELECTRICAL SHOCK
A. Ground-Fault Pathway
B. Device Electrical Insulation
C. Body As Pathway
III. PROTECTION AGAINST ELECTRICAL SHOCKS
A. Ground-Fault Circuit Interrupter Receptacle
B. Operating Mechanism
C. Testing GFCI Receptacle
IV. PREVENTION, OPERATIONAL SAFETY, AND MAINTENANCE
A. Overall Measures
B. Preventive Measures
C. Operational Safety Measures
D. …show more content…

2. Danger
Usage of line-powered device could be dangerous. As leakage of AC current (i.e. 60 hertz) in the body if it is of sufficient amplitude and duration it can cause motor nerves depolarization thus induce involuntary tetanic like muscle contraction. As in most of the humans muscle contraction frequencies are 40 and 60 hertz.
3. Battery-powered devices
Leaking of current from a battery-powered device is not dangerous. They are safe because there is continuous 0 hertz DC current regardless of its amplitude and duration. This low voltage current cannot be able to cause nerve depolarization and thus couldn’t induce titanic muscle contraction.
D. Physiological damage
When a 60 hertz AC current of 5 mA passes through a body it may cause unwanted physiological changes such as tissue burn and tetanic muscle contraction which may cause severe body injuries including death.
1. Tetanic muscle contraction
The victom may showed minor-to-vigrous tetanic muscle contractions which may cause respiratory arrest or cardiac arrest and it leads to death by electric shock.
2. Tissue burn
When 60 hertz AC current passed through a body it cause burn injuries primarily at skin surface and secondarily in deeper tissues because skin tissues offer more resistance to current than the deeper tissues. Deeper tissue burn injuries are stronger if the skin is in

Get Access