Tip of the Day 121: If you get a shock, STOP!

One of our consultants was in Malaysia last week. While hooking up his Lynx cable to an eDART he got a shock or at least a tingle from the eDART. He was holding the Lynx cable in one hand and the eDART was plugged in and perched on a table.

There are many explanations for why this can happen, generally having something to do with grounding; or lack of it. These can get rather technical. So, as not to distract from the main point, the short story is this:

 

If you feel a shock while working on an eDART installation, STOP and get an electrician to check the wiring before proceeding. This is a safety issue and should not be ignored.

 

That is all.

For those of you interested in the basic explanation here is a link to a short video to show what happens when grounds are not connected.

[youtube=Jmg6zQWIH-s]

Notice that using a 3-prong to 2-prong plug adapter effectively disconnects the ground wire and so is also not safe.