Re: Human electrical resistance

[Nords]

I just stuck my kill-a-watt meter up my butt, but I can't read it.

Try inserting it with the meter side facing out.

Where oh where is the beaver for these situations?

I suspect that there's just not enough output to register on the meter... or maybe it's not adequately "grounded", so to speak.

 

[HFWR]

Re: Human electrical resistance

Probably a brown-out...

 

[samclem]

Re: Human electrical resistance

Probably a brown-out...

Speaking of electronics and the human body--there's a very cool table saw on the market that stops/drops below the table nearly instantly if the spinning blade contacts the skin. The trigger works by sensing minute changes in conductance caused by this skin contact, which triggers an uber-powerful brake that stops the blade very quickly. The inventor could not sell it to the major tool manufacturers, even after demonstrating it by feeding his finger into the blade ( he got a cut, but everything has healed up nicely). Ironically, the manufacturers apparently balked because installing this safety device might increase their liability in injury cases. (Another case of our amazing tort system hampering safety improvements. The same thing happens in aviation products all the time) He's gone into manufacturing the saws himself. They aren't big sellers (he's a low-volume manufacturer, most people aren't willing to spend the extra dollars he has to charge), but they are showing up in government woodworking shops and schools. I've used one, and it is a nice saw.

Video of the blade working (with hot dog in lieu of a finger)

 

[DRiP Guy]

Re: Human electrical resistance

Cool info on the saw. As to the liability problem in civil aviation, I know that killed off a lot, and raised prices to the unobtainable level for the average Joe. Which is a shame, becasue so much technology and infrastructure could have been applied in those decades. Anyway, perhaps the tide is turning with the advent of the "Sport Pilot" rating and aircraft... pretty cool stuff, and I am hearing a lot of new buzz -- it's a start.

http://www.zenithair.com/news/sport-pilot.html

 

[deserat]

Re: Human electrical resistance

For an example of what we require in the healthcare setting (which is regulated by 10,000 organizations!) - main concern is that any stray current does not affect patient in critical area - i.e. induce fibrillation or other nasty stuff:

From our Electrical Safety Manual (req'd of all Healthcare Facilities by JCAHO)

Portable medical equipment shall have a leakage current which does not exeed 300mA when mesaured with the ground broken, and/or on or off. The resistance to ground shall not exeed 0.5 Ohm

For equipment with patient leads - the maximum allowable current between the leads and ground is 100mA, between leads, 50mA

If the leads are attached to the heart, the leads to ground shall not exceed 10 microAmps, with ground open 50 microAmps

Same between heart leads

Lastly, in an isolation test, the device shall not allow more than 50 microAmps with line voltage applied between the lead and ground

So, what I've learned is that a little bit of current can go a long way to hurting someone....

 

[DRiP Guy]

Re: Human electrical resistance

what I've learned is that a little bit of current can go a long way to hurting someone....

And that if you intend to use your table saw to prep the Hors d’oeuvres, be sure the weiners are high impedance type...?