Electric shock

How it is used

Used in safety training, risk assessments and accident reports. People get or receive an electric shock, and equipment is designed to protect against it. Standards talk about protection against electric shock, touch voltage, and direct and indirect contact.

Example sentences

1. The technician got an electric shock from a capacitor that was still charged.

2. The RCD protects people against electric shock if the insulation fails.

Common collocations

• get an electric shock
• risk of electric shock
• protection against electric shock
• touch voltage

Related terms

• RCDShort for residual current device: a protective device that switches off a circuit when it detects current leaking to earth, for example through damaged insulation or a person. 30 mA devices are common for protecting people.
• insulationNon-conducting material, such as PVC or rubber, that covers conductors and keeps current where it should be. Good insulation protects people from shock and prevents short circuits.
• groundThe common reference point of a circuit, taken as 0 V, or a safety connection to the earth. In electronics it is marked GND; in installations it is the protective earth conductor.
• lockout/tagoutA safety procedure in which energy sources are switched off and isolated, then locked and tagged so that nobody can turn them back on while work is being done. It is often shortened to LOTO.
• arc flashA sudden, extremely hot burst of light and energy caused by an electric arc between conductors or to ground. It can cause severe burns, blinding light and a pressure blast.

More terms: Wiring, Protection and Safety

• circuit breaker
• fuse
• wire
• neutral
• overload
• distribution board