Whether you are part of an emergency response team or just the first person that happens by an accident involving electrical wires, a little basic knowledge of the way electricity works will enable you to help the victim without becoming a victim yourself. So imagine the scenario: you are driving down an icy winter road when the car in front of you loses control and crashes into a pole carrying power lines. You slam on the brakes and watch in horror as the pole snaps and high voltage electrical wires come to rest on the roof of the victim's car. What do you do?
Never Assume the Power is Out
The biggest hazard involving electricity is a phenomenon called step potential. There are three basic elements that come into play when dealing with electricity. These are voltage, amperage and resistance. Amperage, or current, can only flow through a conductor if there is a difference in potential, or voltage. When an electrical wire lands on the roof of a metal car, the car is effectively energized at the same voltage as the wire.
Modern electrical systems are designed to automatically de-energize themselves through fuses when such an incident occurs. However, the rubber tires of a car may have enough resistance to inhibit the proper operation of the fuse protecting that line, causing it to stay energized. Now step potential comes into play. Think of a target with the car as the bulls eye. Electricity can jump along the ground in ever widening circles around the car, through the difference in voltage between the car and the ground. This is called step potential, and it may kill you from as far away as four or five meters. So what do you do?
Do Not Get Out of Your Car
Call for help. Inform the 911 dispatcher that high voltage lines are lying on the ground and tell them to contact the local power utility. Never approach the car until you are told it is safe to do so by a qualified technician from the power utility. Keep the public back and inform any newcomers of the danger. If the people in the car are conscious, tell them to remain in their car. They could be killed should they try to step from the car to the ground.
In Conclusion
Let the professionals do their job. Even if you are trained in CPR, when electrical lines come into play, the safest way is to allow the local power utility to verify that the line no longer poses an electrical hazard before you attempt to rescue the victim. Remember, it takes only .08 of an amp going through your body at the right place to cause serious injury or death. With anywhere from five to hundreds of amps going through today's power lines, the safest bet is to recognize the hazards and call for help.
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