how do folks die when a wire hits a bus?

[last426]

Isn't that like a bird on a wire,or so says Leonard Cohen?

[TheGhost]

A reference to what you are talking about would probably help this thread out alot...

[Skinypete]

I'm not an electrician but there is a difference between a bird on a power line from when said power line falls on a bus.  The bird gets away scott clean because said bird isn't grounded to anything.

[tan top]

I'm not an electrician but there is a difference between a bird on a power line from when said power line falls on a bus.  The bird gets away scott clean because said bird isn't grounded to anything.

yeah i'm thinking that also 

think the people in the bus will be ok also ! rubber tyres 

[moparjohn]

I think he is referencing a bus in Nigeria (?) that had a wire land on it, all inside were electrecuted.  Very sad.

[dkn1997]

it's not the volts, it's the amps that kill ya!   

[Todd Wilson]

it's not the volts, it's the amps that kill ya!   

I'll let you come over to the house and touch the coils on my HF ham radio then. Its only 225miliamps of current at 900 volts and we'll see what happens.


Todd

[Todd Wilson]

I think he is referencing a bus in Nigeria (?) that had a wire land on it, all inside were electrecuted.  Very sad.

Well if thats what he is talking about then I would bet it was a high powered line. Found ground somehow and thats the end of the people on the bus. Rubber tires dont always help. The elctricity could arc to ground and make the connection,. Just like lightning.


Todd

[skip68]

Somehow, they were grounded.   I remember standing on my 4ft ladder and not getting zapped but my buddy was on the ground and he got lit.      I kept messing with him by grabbing the wire and he had no idea why he would get a zap.       You see, he was completing the circut by way of ground.       Now, I did compete the circut on 277 lighting once.             And a 408v DC ups system once.            A small transformer once.            120v god knows how many times, 40-50 times.        That 277 was the worst by far.  I ended up in the hospital the next day because of that.       Headache for 2 weeks that wouldn't go away, chaulky taste in my mouth like battery acid and burn marks on both hands.  2 burn marks from the wires on my right hand from the entrence of 277, and 3 burn marks on my left hand from the exit of 277 to a steel beam.   Which by the way makes a very goooood ground.   

[dkn1997]

it's not the volts, it's the amps that kill ya!   

I'll let you come over to the house and touch the coils on my HF ham radio then. Its only 225miliamps of current at 900 volts and we'll see what happens.


Todd

I am so coming over next time I'm in Kansas!!  You have beer at your house I presume?   

[RECHRGD]

Somehow, they were grounded.   I remember standing on my 4ft ladder and not getting zapped but my buddy was on the ground and he got lit.      I kept messing with him by grabbing the wire and he had no idea why he would get a zap.       You see, he was completing the circut by way of ground.       Now, I did compete the circut on 277 lighting once.             And a 408v DC ups system once.            A small transformer once.            120v god knows how many times, 40-50 times.        That 277 was the worst by far.  I ended up in the hospital the next day because of that.       Headache for 2 weeks that wouldn't go away, chaulky taste in my mouth like battery acid and burn marks on both hands.  2 burn marks from the wires on my right hand from the entrence of 277, and 3 burn marks on my left hand from the exit of 277 to a steel beam.   Which by the way makes a very goooood ground.   

Chuck, remember LOCK OUT TAG OUT!!!!

[tan top]

I think he is referencing a bus in Nigeria (?) that had a wire land on it, all inside were electrecuted.  Very sad.

oh crikey  , thats bad

[skip68]

Chuck, remember LOCK OUT TAG OUT!!!!

I know, I know.......       Don't you have a sense for adventure Bob ?   
The doctor at the hospital said I would never get that lucky again after the 277.       2 months later I got the 408v dc zap.       Actually, another guy got zapped that was with me because his arm was touching mine.  It put us both on the ground. 

I think all the zaps have messed with my brain... 

I think all the zaps have messed with my brain... 

I think all the zaps have messed with my brain... 

[6769charger]

Hey Skip68, 

   You said you got hit by 408 dcv on a UPS system. You remember what make on UPS ? That what I do for a living, service UPS's

Robert

[skip68]

I don't know.        It was for Metro pcs in Sac. Ca. about 7 years ago.   I had never worked on one and was sent to help hook it up.  My buddy running the job had no clue about them as well.  He said to go ahead and land the terminal with a big allen and as soon as I touched it, "POW"...   For those that don't know, those daisy chained batteries come charged.      I've never seen one since.   
Was I right about it being 408 or is it 480 ?      I can't remember how many batteries there was.   

[last426]

I still don't understand.  If the bus is grounded, then the wire goes to ground through the bus.  I thought that the people would have to complete some loop through them.  If the people are grounded, then they would have to touch the wire independent of the bus.  What's missing here? Kim

[MoparManJim]

I still don't understand.  If the bus is grounded, then the wire goes to ground through the bus.  I thought that the people would have to complete some loop through them.  If the people are grounded, then they would have to touch the wire independent of the bus.  What's missing here? Kim

Could the bus be made of all metal also on the inside? if so that could have done it. But with the tires being made of rubber the bus was not touck\hing the ground though, so it had to have been grounded some how unless the wire was laying over the bus and laying on the metal of it and also laying on the ground. 

[bakerhillpins]

it's not the volts, it's the amps that kill ya!  

I'll let you come over to the house and touch the coils on my HF ham radio then. Its only 225miliamps of current at 900 volts and we'll see what happens.


Todd

Yes, it's the amps that kill you. Specifically when the current travels through your heart. I think it only takes like 100ma (.1 amp). However the higher the voltage the easier it is thanks to Ohms Law. Stopping your heart isn't the only way either, any path through your body can end up getting severely burned by the current which might not kill you right away but will after you die from your injuries. Electricity is way dangerous and its treated way to casually.

I still don't understand.  If the bus is grounded, then the wire goes to ground through the bus.  I thought that the people would have to complete some loop through them.  If the people are grounded, then they would have to touch the wire independent of the bus.  What's missing here? Kim

Electricity will find the "path of least resistance". When you have a transmission line or any other high voltage line it doesn't take much to jump anything and everything. 10kv per inch is the insulating capacity of air. After 10kv is exceeded it ionizes the air and arcs, at which point the ionized air is of lower resistance and it will continue to travel to a much lower voltage. Those folks in the bus, if it was a transmission line (hundreds of KV of potential) were in serious trouble if not dead almost immediately.

Take a look at how small that truck is at the end of this video:
http://205.243.100.155/frames/mpg/500kV_Switch.mpg

Here are more:
http://205.243.100.155/frames/longarc.htm

[71gtx]

 the wire in the rubber tires

[Khyron]

I think he is referencing a bus in Nigeria (?) that had a wire land on it, all inside were electrecuted.  Very sad.

Nigeria? I sthat why im not getting as much junk mail about money they want to put in my bank account?




what? too early?

[bakerhillpins]

I think he is referencing a bus in Nigeria (?) that had a wire land on it, all inside were electrecuted.  Very sad.

Nigeria? I sthat why im not getting as much junk mail about money they want to put in my bank account?




what? too early?

   

[Todd Wilson]

Hey Skip68, 

   You said you got hit by 408 dcv on a UPS system. You remember what make on UPS ? That what I do for a living, service UPS's

Robert

I work part time at a print shop taking care of ther computers.  Used to work there full time years ago. The owner is an old electrician. Knows his stuff and has done it all in his day as far as wiring and electrical. He replaced batteries in our UPS and was scard to death, Only time i have seen him real serious and uneasy when it came to electrical. We had rubber mats down on the floor and he had a rope tied around his waste and us back a ways holding so we could pull him loose if he got hooked up to that UPS.


Todd

[khodne]

When a distribution line is on an object (bus, car, etc.) and a fuse or breaker does not operate, the object is acting as a conductor.  If a person steps off of the bus and does not jump they are completing another circuit and the voltage will travel from the part of the body touching the bus through the body to the limb touching the ground.

Tires have a lot of metal and do act as a conductor on distribution and transmission voltage, i.e. if a dump truck raises their box into a 7200V line most of the times it will blow the rear tires out and the tires start on fire if the line protection does not operate. 

Unfortunately they can not put an odor in electricity like they do with natural gas, so PLEASE if you see a downed electrical line call your power company!!!

[Khyron]

Tires have a lot of metal and do act as a conductor on distribution and transmission voltage, i.e. if a dump truck raises their box into a 7200V line most of the times it will blow the rear tires out and the tires start on fire if the line protection does not operate. 
[/quote]

I would pay GOOD money to see that!

wow.... just WOW! hehhehe

[khodne]

Check this out, no video but good pictures.  http://www.firehouse.com/node/89133