Electrical Shock from Coach

Your calculations are correct but it is Ventricular fibrillation that it causes. Atrial fib is rarely fatal unless it throws a clot. As an aside, Mike, I'd like to thank you for all the info you have bestowed on us over the years about RV electrical safety.

Oops.... I should know better. It is indeed Ventricular Fibrillation, but my brain wasn't fully engaged since my son was in for heart surgery last month, and I must have heard the word "Atrial" a few hundred times. I really do strive for 100% accuracy in all postings, but since I'm not a medical doctor I sometimes get confused with all the "body parts". Electricity is much easier for me.

As a side note, here's an interesting fact about getting shocked I found out a few months ago. Why does your hand "clench" a live wire and can't let go? It has to do with the strength of the muscles that close your hand compared to the strength you have to open your hand. Since 20 mA of current will cause ALL of your muscles to contract, there's a tug of war in your hand between the open and closing muscles. The closing muscles win out, and clamps your hand shut on the wire. You can't let go while you're being shocked and possibly electrocuted. That's why old electricians always brush a knuckle across a potential hot wire, rather than touching it with an open hand. A shock on the knuckle causes your hand to jump away from the energized source, while a shock on the inside of the hand will cause it to clamp down harder. So always test for electrical tingles with the back of your hand, not the palm of your hand. Simple, but extra insurance.

Mike Sokol
mike@noshockzone.org
www.NoShockZone.org