When in doubt, never touch a live wire. At best, any electrical shock will disrupt the electrical signals within your nervous system, resulting in tremendous pain. At worst, a shock can stop your heart, burn your flesh, or even kill you. If you run into a live electrical wire somewhere in your home, it’s best to immediately shut off the current to that wire and call a certified electrician to repair it for you. However, accidents do happen. If someone in your home is electrocuted, you will need to act fast. Here’s what to do:
- Separate the person from the electrical current. BE CAREFUL: use a non-conducting material – wood, rubber, or plastic – to knock the victim away from the wire.
- Call 911 immediately.
- Check their breathing and heartbeat. As mentioned before, electrical shock can stop your heart, mouth-to-mouth resuscitation or CPR may be necessary.
- Even if the victim is conscious, keep him/her lying down. If they are unconscious, turn them on their side to allow proper draining of fluids. But don’t move them if you think they may have undergone a spinal injury!
- If possible, treat any burns by immersing the victim in cold water. If the burns seem particularly severe, cut away any surrounding clothing and cover the burns with a sterilized dressing.
- Wait for the paramedics to arrive.
The do-it-yourself attitude is great, but it’s not worth losing your life over. Should you run into faulty wiring, leave it to your Utah electrical experts to take care of you.
