[jaidan]

I’m not a medical person but I am an electrician.

If you receive a shock, if can affect the rhythm of your heart and cause problems later. We’re taught to go and get an ECG after receiving a shock. Like jump in the car and go to the doctor or hospital and have someone else drive you. If you’ve received a shock - go get checked out.

[gugagore]

Are you part of a union, and is this recommendation feasible because of "worker's compensation"? I imagine I might not go get checked out if I felt like the risk was low enough and I was worried enough about being able to pay the bill.

[atoav]

It is certainly a known fact that electrical shock can lead to death even hours after the event occured, which is why there is a legal requirement in most industrial nations with a working healthcare system that you get yourself checked even if you are feeling good.

Your heart muscle is controlled by a tiny voltage. Suddenly forcing it to follow 50/60Hz of a huge voltage isn't precisely natural, and something that can leave lasting damage even if your heart seems to work just fine immidiately after.

There is a reason in electrics a lot is done just to prevent electrical shocks (e.g. RCDs), because you know: it kills people.

I am legally allowed to connect houses to the electrical grid in Germany.

[gugagore]

I have experienced some shocks from ground loops, where the shock was only perceptible when the current density was small enough. If I placed my whole palm on the conductor, I couldn't feel it, but if I placed just my finger tip on the edge, I could.

That was an electrical shock that in my naive opinion does not pose a cardiac risk.

I imagine that there is some judgement call to make about what is "electrical shock", and when does it pose a cardiac risk.

If all is going well, shocks are rare, and so I could imagine as a rule "if you felt a shock, go to the doctor". But in some [yes, of course, unfortunate, avoidable, and unacceptable] contexts, a rule like that might not be followed. That is why I was wondering about what guidance electrician's unions provide.

[kergonath]

I am sorry for you if you live in a country where you have to chose between paying the bills or making sure you won’t end up in cardiac arrest because of something that happens as a part of your job. It hasn’t got anything to do with unions, it is basic respect for human life.

[gugagore]

Thanks, I'm sorry too!

"basic respect for human life" and "unions" can have a lot in common, especially in such a country.

[adrianN]

I received some electrical safety training even though I'm a software engineer and was told the same thing. An electric shock can lead to cardiac arrest for hours after it happened, with no prior warning. You should always see a cardiologist even if you feel completely fine. Without an ECG you can't know the risk.

[throwaway0a5e]

>An electric shock can lead to cardiac arrest for hours after it happened, with no prior warning.

That's common in the way shark bites and lightening strikes are common. Dropping dead hours after a minor electrical shock is so rare you shouldn't even be worrying about it.

>You should always see a cardiologist even if you feel completely fine.

It was included in your training so the company could cover its ass. By including a comically over the top warning and recommendation like that they are ensuring that statistically nobody will follow the training and the company will have leverage if you get hurt on their watch and sue.

It's a really shame that this kind of disingenuous ass covering behavior gets picked up and parroted by people as though it were honest advice because it moves the overton window and leads to a world where everyone acts like step-stools are a serious threat to public health.

[adrianN]

A friend who still works at that company has seen two minor electrical accidents during his career so far. An ambulance was naturally called and copious amounts of paperwork filled out. Workplace procedures were adapted so that such accidents will be less likely in the future.

Everybody follows the training, because you get fired if you don't, or your manager gets fired. I don't know where you live, but here we have unions that make sure workers are as safe as reasonably possible.