I too am a Sparkie, and had my share of belts from the mains power sources, electric fences and electrical equipment etc.
More from carelessness than lack of appropriate footwear, clothing, insulated tools and wooden ladders.
However I had to replace the 1st floor circuit breaker last night, so switched off the main house breaker, and swapped the 1st and 2nd floor breakers so I could watch a good TV show last night.
Yes I was totally naked I used insulated tools, even though the house was isolated and I made sure i didn't touch any bare wires or contacts just as a precaution.
Today I will have to wear clothes when I go to buy a new breaker, but i will be totally NAKED when I install the new one.
I weld and do most chores naked, I am just more vigilant when I am naked.
My worst burn from when I was welding was when some hot slag bounce up off the floor and into my safety boots, couldn't get the Bl---- boot off quick enough to prevent a serious burn. When barefoot the slag just bounces off without burning.
When you rely on clicking off the electricity, you are staking your life on the electrician's skill. A switch will work fine in either the live wire or the ground - but if the switch is in the ground wire, and your body supplies a new ground, you're toast. Of course, switch the light off; better, go to the breaker panel, which is much more likely to be wired correctly, and switch it off there. And then make sure your feet and your free hand are not touching anything that conducts electricity.
I have had an experienced contractor, who had to do a piece of wiring outside our new house while he was on a social call with his wife, ask me to come with him. We didn't explain to his wife why - one of his precautions was never to stick his hand in a meter box (which cannot be switched off) unless someone was nearby to pull him away in case a shock was causing him to reflexively clutch the wire that was killing him. This is not as silly a precaution as it sounds.
sorry for being so stupid and incompetent
That's ok,Roland, we all make mistakes. I have been a proffesional electrician for forty years,and my advice to staying safe,isalways havecorrect footwear for the job.
Whatever kind of work you are doing,always think of what could go wrong and how you can avoid a nasty accident. Thousands of people are seriously injured or killed in the construction industry every year. Most of these (wrongly named) accidents should not occur,if people just use a little common sense. True meaning of accident, is, unavoidable event. As most are avoidable,they are not accidents, they are the result of carelessness.
Wishing all a happy safe (nude where possible) life,
MOW.
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