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DIRECT AND INDIRECT CONTACT –

PROTECTION AGAINST ELECTRIC
SHOCK
2022-11-16

Direct contact is any contact with an energised (live) system that

we know is dangerous. Indirect contact refers to contact with a
device's casing or, sometimes, even another adjacent device that
is supposed to be safe, but is no longer so as a result of a
malfunction. The contact can result in electric shock, but what
exactly is it?

NATURE OF ELECTRIC SHOCK

The human nervous system controls all muscle movements, both

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voluntary and involuntary. The nervous system transfers
electrical signals between the brain and the muscles, which are
therefore stimulated to contract. The signals are electrochemical
by nature, with voltage magnitude of just a few millivolts. Thus,
when a human body is connected to a much more powerful
external circuit, its normal functions are overwhelmed by those
external signals. The forced current flowing through the body's
nervous system is called "electric shock", which can be a deadly
hazard.

All muscles receive much stronger signals than they would

normally receive under physiological conditions and, as a result,
end up contracting much more violently. It causes uncontrollable
movements and pain. Even the response of a person who is still
conscious is usually not enough to prevent the effects of a shock.
It is because the signals from the brain trying to counterbalance
the shock currents get lost in the strength of the superimposed
signals.

A good example is the “no-let-go” shock effect. When a person

touches a conductor that sends shock currents through their
hand, the muscles react by closing the fingers on the conductor
in such a way that it ends up tightly grasped. In this situation, the
person is unable to let go of the wire and break the circuit.

The effects of electric shock vary greatly, depending on the

current flowing through the nervous system and the path taken
through the body. The topic is very complex, but we know that
harm to the body depends on two factors:

the magnitude of the current flowing through the body,

and

the time of exposure.

The human body is composed mainly of water and has a very low
resistance. However, the skin has a very high resistance, which
depends on many factors – from the possible presence of water
:
(or sweat) to skin burns. Thus, the greatest resistance is found at
the points in which the current enters and exits the body through
the skin. A person with naturally hard and dry skin has a much
higher resistance to a shock current than a person with soft and
moist skin. The resistance of the skin decreases dramatically if it
has been burned, because of the presence of electroconductive
carbon particles.

Actually, the current is limited by the human body's impedance,

i.e. its capacitance and resistance. Impedance is difficult to
predict, as it depends on many factors, including the voltage
applied, the level of current and time of exposure, the area of
contact with the energised circuit, how strongly the skin is
pressed against the conductor, the condition of the skin, the
environment and body temperature, and so forth.

Note that the pattern is very approximate. The flow of current

through the body, for example, will cause the victim to sweat,
thus quickly reducing the skin resistance once the shock has
started. Fortunately, people using electrical installations rarely
have bare feet, so the electrical resistance of footwear and floor
coverings often increases the overall resistance of the shock
path and reduces the shock current to a safer level.

Very little reliable data is available on the effects of shock

currents, as they vary from person to person, and even for a
particular person over time. However, we know that a current of
more than one milliampere in the body causes a sensation of
shock. One hundred milliamperes are likely to become fatal
rapidly, particularly if such a current flows through the heart.

If the shock persists, its effects may prove even more dangerous.
For example, a 500mA surge current may have no lasting effects
if it lasts less than 20 ms, but 50mA for 10 s could be fatal. The
effects of a shock will vary, but the most dangerous outcome is
ventricular fibrillation (disruption of the heartbeat sequence)
:
and chest constriction, resulting in failure to breathe.

The first condition for someone to undergo electric shock is to

come into contact with an energised (live) conductor. The
contact is classified into two types.

DIRECT CONTACT

Electric shock results from contact with a conductor, i.e. an

energised conductor being a part of a circuit. An example:
someone removing a cover from the electrical switch and
touching the wires inside. It may also occur as a result of damage
to the wire insulation. In this case, overvoltage protection
systems do not provide any protection, but a residual-current
circuit breaker with an operating current of up to 30mA may do
so.

Power cords at TME

PROTECTION AGAINST DIRECT CONTACT

The safeguards for preventing direct contact are mainly

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intended to minimise the possibility of touching energised wires.
These safeguards include:

1. Insulation of energised parts – this is a standard

procedure. Wires are often double-insulated, and the
insulation is additionally strengthened to improve the
resistance to temperature fluctuation or bending.

2. Providing physical barriers or casings protecting

against contact (IP2X) – where surfaces are horizontal
and available, IP4X protection applies (excluding solids
wider than 1 mm).

3. Placing a wire out of reach or providing barriers

preventing people from reaching the energised (live)
parts. For this purpose, various types of barriers,
cabinets or safety nets are used.

4. RCD breakers provide additional protection, but only if

the contact is from a live (energised) part to an earthed
part.

WHAT IS INDIRECT CONTACT – ELECTRICAL

ENGINEERING

Electric shock from indirect contact occurs when an object that

should not be energised becomes such e.g. due to a failure
:
(insulation damage) or a faulty electrical installation. In this way,
contact with outer cases, mounting/fixing parts or switches may
pose a hazard. People at the highest risk of such shock are
electric technicians and engineers.

PROTECTION AGAINST INDIRECT CONTACT

There are three safeguards providing protection against shock

from contact with a conductor or component that should not be
energised under normal conditions:

1. Making sure that a failure resulting in the parts

becoming energised will cause a power cut-off within a
safe time limit. In practice, this involves reducing the
earth fault loop impedance.

2. Using an RCD breaker that cuts off the power supply in

the event of a residual (leakage) current.

RCDs at TME

3.Using a local, supplementary equipotential bonding to ensure

that the resistance between parts that can be touched
simultaneously is so low that no dangerous potential difference
can occur between them. Note that although such precautions
eliminate the danger of indirect contact, it is still necessary to
make sure that the power supply is disconnected in order to
provide protection against other faults, such as overheating.

4. Sometimes, the dangerous voltage can be maintained,

if an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) or a backup
generator with an automatic start-up is used.
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It is common sense and a "safety first" approach that can largely
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