Vasily Strakha from Luknovo, Koropsky district, ended up in the ATO zone when he was only 20. He is the youngest mobilized in the entire region. Vasya celebrated his 21st birthday in a trench in the Donetsk region. And a month later, in May last year, he almost died - a current discharge of 10,000 volts passed through his body.
He was demobilized last September. He talks about his experiences during the war with a little embarrassment.
“I really wanted to join the army, so when the summons came for military service (and then to the ATO zone), there was no thought about “sloping off,” says Vasily. — I did my military service first in Desna, and then in Crimea. It coincided that as soon as I served and returned home, the occupation of the peninsula began. I stayed at home for six months, worked as a tractor driver, and then I was mobilized to the ATO zone.
He ended up in the 25th Airborne Brigade and was a machine gunner in a reconnaissance airborne company. A year ago, in January, we stood near Avdeevka, Donetsk region. I'll be honest: it was difficult. They fired at us harshly - from mortars, "grads"... I remember the first shelling most of all, because then I was very scared, if it weren't for the experienced guys, I don't know how I would have survived. I experienced the subsequent shelling more calmly and did not panic so much.
I got used to it and acted automatically. Over time, some kind of intuition even appeared, which more than once saved the lives of me and my brothers-in-arms. One day we were chatting with the guys, and my heart became so anxious! I say: “Guys, let’s get out of here. Let's move to another place." And we had just crossed over when a shell fell and exploded where we were! Can you imagine?!
The guys then joked that I was a seer. And once, during a mortar attack, I and another soldier were hiding in a trench. I did not sit next to him, but opposite him. And right before my eyes, a shrapnel hit him and pierced his bulletproof vest. I couldn’t do anything, he died in my arms... Experiencing this is the most difficult thing.
After Avdeevka, I served near Konstantinovka, Donetsk region. One day, my comrades and I were observing the area from our checkpoint. We see: some car is driving not far from the railway track. My partner Zhenya and I went on reconnaissance to find out what kind of car it was and what it was doing there. As soon as they began to approach, the car drove away, leaving two men behind.
They saw us and began to run away. We are behind them. While running along the path, I did not notice the broken high-voltage wire and hooked it with a machine gun. I remember being thrown up and falling a few meters from that place. All he had time to do was shout: “Zhenya, save me!” And he passed out.
Zhenya ran up and began to give me artificial respiration and cardiac massage. I woke up, but I couldn’t move - it felt like my whole body was numb. My right leg hurt very badly. We saw a large round wound a little above the foot. Zhenya gave me some water to drink and tried to get me to my feet, but I couldn’t walk. Then he carried me on his shoulders, but on the road to the checkpoint there was a small hill that he did not have the strength to cross. Gathering my will into a fist, I began to help him, pushing a little with my feet. We crossed a hill and a forest plantation, and then our guys came running to help. I was taken to the hospital in Konstantinovka.
The doctors said that it was a miracle that I survived because that railroad had a high-voltage line with a voltage of 10,000 volts! The current passed through the whole body and exited through the leg. I experienced clinical death and received a third degree concussion. And one elderly nurse said: “You’re lucky, boy, that you have a cross and a church ribbon on your hand.” My mother gave me a cross and a ribbon. Maybe they really saved me. I decided to tell my mother about what happened to me only the next day, when I was transported to Dimitrov, Donetsk region.
“He called and said: “Mom, what are you doing?” I replied that I would field corn,” recalls Natalya Alexandrovna. - Vasya then: “I was shocked. My heart stopped." As soon as I heard it, I sat down with a hoe in my hand in the field. I don’t know how long I sat there. I cried and couldn't stop. When she calmed down, she said: “So it’s too early for you to die, son.”
In Dimitrov, Vasily’s burned skin was cut out and the wound was bandaged. A few days later he was transferred to the Dnepropetrovsk hospital, where he was given a referral for treatment to Kyiv. At the Kiev military hospital he underwent skin graft surgery. A large scar on his leg reminds him of an electric shock.
“The first weeks after the operation I walked on crutches. My leg hurt so much, even painkillers didn’t help,” says Vasily. “After looking at guys like me, but without legs and arms, I realized that I was lucky. Although I had to undergo treatment almost all summer, and then also undergo rehabilitation in Irpen, Kyiv region.
— We are very proud of Vasya. He is so young, and already has a diploma “For conscientious performance of military duty,” a medal “War Veteran” and a badge “For exemplary military service.”
His 5-year-old sister Dasha is especially proud of Vasya. While he was in the east, she often said: “Vasya is protecting me,” and when he returned home, she did not leave his side. She adores her older brother,” Natalya Alexandrovna smiles. - I pray for the children every day. Vasya has been through so much that he still cannot sleep peacefully.
Almost every night he pushes the walls, all his hands are knocked down. And sometimes he jumps up in the middle of the night and moves furniture - barricading himself. We hope this will pass with time...
“I have already returned to my normal life,” adds Vasily. — I work as a tractor driver at a local agricultural enterprise. Spring is coming, there will be a lot of work. I’m only glad of this - when I’m busy, I forget about the headache and everything that I had to go through.
Electrical injuries happen quite often at home and at work, because people are surrounded by a large number of devices. To avoid electric shock, you need to know as much as possible what electrical injury is, why it occurs, and what safety rules exist when working with various devices.
Electrical injury concept
Electrical injury is damage to organs and body systems caused by electric current. The first death of a person from electric shock was recorded in Lyon, France, where a carpenter died after being struck by an alternating current generator. According to statistics, in modern Russia more than 30 thousand people die annually from such injuries. No one is immune from this danger, because electricity surrounds people everywhere. Most often, young men suffer from electric shock.
The human body is the best conductor of electrical energy. A person receives an electric shock when interacting with live parts of faulty equipment or as a result of failure to follow safety precautions. An electric shock of more than 1 mA is felt as painful.
You can get hurt without touching live elements, for example, due to a current leak or breakdown of the air gap when an electric arc is formed.
The severity of the injuries received depends on the nature of the current, the power of the discharge, the time of exposure, the place of contact, and the individual characteristics of the victim (health, age, body humidity).
Electric shock is one of the most dangerous injuries, as it can often result in death. Electrical injury occurs in many situations:
Types of electric shock
The classification of electric shock is based on the nature and degree of its impact on the human body. Depending on this they distinguish:
Main symptoms
If a person was electrocuted in front of loved ones or colleagues, then there can be no doubt about the diagnosis. The victim must be immediately sent to a medical facility. If the accident occurred when the wounded person was alone, then determine whether there was an electric shock, possible based on the following criteria:
Particular attention should be paid to affected children. Signs of an electric shock include heavy breathing, convulsions, extreme paleness, lethargy, or hyperactivity.
Help for the victim
Witnesses to the incident must first move the victim to a safe distance from the energy source. If a person grabs a bare wire and his hands cramp, then it is necessary to break the electrical circuit. First of all, you need to take care of the safety of those who came to help. Be sure to wear rubber gloves and boots, and also turn off the switch. The wire can be pulled to the side using a wooden stick. If the victim's clothes are wet, do not touch them with bare hands.
Having dragged a person to a safe place, you need to understand what condition he is in: whether the pulse is palpable, whether the heart is working.
If the victim is conscious, he is asked for his name, age and other data to understand that he has not lost his memory. A patient who has received an electrical injury must be taken to the hospital as soon as possible. The duration of recovery after an accident depends on the severity of the injury and on how correctly and quickly resuscitation measures were carried out.
Consequences of injury
In case of severe electric shock, death cannot be ruled out. Survivors of such trauma are usually in a coma. The victim is diagnosed with unstable functioning of the heart and respiratory system, convulsions, mechanical damage, hypovolemic shock, and renal failure.
The consequences of electric shock can affect the functioning of almost any organ in the human body. Electrical trauma provokes malfunctions of the heart and blood vessels, aggravates chronic diseases (for example, stomach and duodenal ulcers), causes pulmonary edema, loss of vision and hearing. When the heart muscle contracts, a heart attack cannot be ruled out.
No one can prevent malfunctions in the operation of electrical appliances. But to avoid serious injury, you should follow safety rules. In this case, the risk is significantly reduced.
Charging a capacitor is not a tricky matter.
Try charging the transformer!
(c) Petka-4
Recently, various
high-voltage and at the same time compact devices: piezo lighters,
shockers, plasma balls and other toys. To be honest, I myself have long
I wanted to buy myself one of these “balls”, it’s too beautiful, but expensive.
In short, I got tired of drooling and decided - why am I worse than others?
And now I'll tell you how to make some yourself
High Voltage (hereinafter referred to as HV) device. And don't let the lack bother you
(or absence =)) of gray matter in the container opposite your monitor,
Even a child can do all this.
First, a little history. It all started at the end
XIX century, when one dude named Nikola Tesla got tired of charging the battery on his laptop. So I had to
him to figure out how to transmit energy over a distance without wires. And after all
invented! Eyewitnesses said that near his laboratory sparkled
lightning and everything glowed, and at a distance of several dozen
miles, the receiving device powered several rather sickly lamps without visible
source of energy. Then he invented a device that draws energy
"out of nowhere", connected it to an electric car and drove around the city
the whole week. But people used to be evil and, no one knows why, they admitted
genius psycho. By the way, what is now running through the wires is
alternating current with relatively low losses, we owe it to him.
All that remains from his experiments is the Tesla transformer,
a device that increases voltage thousands of times based on resonance.
So, let's start assembling this transformer, just not the way it is
there should be, but a simplified version of it. The point is that in all
In normal transformer designs you have to wind a lot of
reel of approx. 800 turns of thin wire. Do you need it? And me too!
And if so, then quickly run to the trash heap or to the market and rip out the old
TV/buy TVS (High-Voltage Linear Transformer, further
Strochnik). It consists of two coils, one of which is in plastic
insulation, the second multilayer. It costs 100-200 rubles. Almost any is suitable
model, but the larger the size, the better :). Just make sure that
there are no foreign bodies on it (variable resistors and other
canoes, only 2 coils), otherwise it will not fit. Got it? Now
Divide the ferrite core into two U-shaped parts. Their places
The connections are located under the coils and are glued together with resin.
Disconnected - remove and throw away the primary coil (which is in
plastic insulation), we don’t need it, but puff, with many
leave the conclusions. Put everything back together as it was (no need to glue it)
and insulate the core in the place where the coil was in several layers
electrical tape. Further, here, on the half where the secondary outputs
wind 5 turns of copper wire 1mm thick, and next to it, on the other
half, 2-3 turns of 0.6mm wire. Just wind both windings turn to turn and into one
side, that is, if the first one was wound clockwise, then the second one should also be wound clockwise
clockwise, and vice versa. Now insulate these windings well. Must
it will turn out something like this:
Now run to the store again for other parts. If
you are going to power the converter from the network, and this is the best option, you can
purchase an electrolytic capacitor for 25-36 volts with a capacity of not
less than 5000 uF. Transistor 2N3055 (30-50r.) or another with similar
parameters, preferably two or three. Two resistors: power 2-3 W, one at 27 Ohm,
the other is 240 ohms. Yes, and also, if you don’t mind the money, buy a radiator for the transistor
(you still have to cool it!), because... not from handy means
always makes a good radiator (my tranny overheats
10 seconds after switching on). And buy more heat-conducting paste
(I use "KPT-8"). Here's the diagram:
Transistor designation:
I think you can collect it. If the transistor gets hot and sparks
no, then swap the leads of one of the windings in the circuit (preferably a small one). A normal device usually consumes 2-4 amperes at a voltage of 12V.
Voltage can be supplied from 6 to 24V (some
extreme sportsmen supply 36V), and the output will be 10-25KV, which is approximately equal to an arc of 2-3cm.
Personally, I power it from a battery charger, but this
because of my laziness... you better not do that, it's not intended for that.
It's better to install a step-down transformer with a rectifier and a capacitor
parallel (a capacitor is needed to smooth out the alternating current from which
the tranzyuk gets very hot), or you can even power it from the battery -
in short, do what you want, but just KEEP POLARITY, otherwise the transistor will burn out
and perhaps the capacitor will explode!
Here is my assembled converter in a modem box:
“Well, I collected it and what next?” - you ask, and then the most interesting thing -
experiments with HV! First of all, you need to find the secondary terminals at which the voltage
greatest. For most line writers, these are the first and last conclusions,
but for some it is different. For me, for example, these are the first and fifth of
seven available. To do this, solder one wire (with a high-voltage
insulation) to the first pin and poke into each contact on the secondary.
Where the arc is longer, solder the second wire there. Now get a normal arc and evaluate the performance of the device (arc length/heating
transistor), to do this, bring the wires close until you get a small blue spark
and start stretching it. If it’s more than 2cm, then it’s good.
Ground one of the wires, for example, on a kitchen stove or battery, and then
For the second one, connect a regular 40-100 W lamp with both of its contacts.
The plasma ball is ready! You can touch it with your hands - you won't
will give an electric shock due to too high a frequency, and the ball will only become brighter
shine. You can try with different lamps, color and intensity
vary depending on the gas and pressure.
Break a 100 W lamp (possibly burnt out) and remove all excess, incl.
glass tube that holds the middle wires, leaving two
extreme electrodes so that there is only air between them. Install
lam... what's left of the lamp is vertical and connect the HV. If
enough power, you will see a beautiful sight called “Staircase
Jacob." The arc will strike at the base, then, under the influence of the heated
air, will rise up to the end of the electrodes, stretching to
limit, it breaks and everything starts again. If it doesn't work, bend it down
electrodes at the base towards each other to reduce the distance.
Ground one wire and connect the second to the foil plate,
For example. Stand on this plate with your bare feet (don't be afraid if you
putting everything together correctly will not kill you, read below why) and take a fluorescent lamp in your hand
light, or some neon. It will glow. This is the most
spectacular experience (especially if you hide the converter and
demonstrate in front of friends). Now why don't you get electrocuted? The fact is that the current is very
high frequency flows the closer to the surface of the conductor, the higher
its frequency. In our case, the frequency is about 30KHz, and this
it is enough for the current to pass only through the upper, dead layer of skin,
where there are no nerve endings and which in any case is not a pity
:). But do not catch the arc from the wire directly to the skin, otherwise you will get a deep burn, because...
the temperature of this arc can reach 6000
degrees. And also, just in case, do not measure the voltage with a digital multimeter, and
don’t measure anything at all! I thought he would survive, because... these bastards wrote "HV" in the corner of the indicator,
but death came instantly (the death of the multimeter, not mine
=). Next, I give free rein to your imagination. If you come up with any new and
interesting experiments with HV, be sure to write to me.
Electrical injury– damage to organs and body systems under the influence of electric current.
- The first mention of death from electric current was registered in 1879 in France, Lyon, a carpenter died from an alternating current generator.
- In developed countries, the incidence of electric shock is on average about 2-3 cases per hundred thousand population.
- Most often, young people of working age suffer from electric shock.
- The mortality rate for men from electrical injuries is 4 times higher than for women.
The effect of electric current on the human body
Electric current has thermal, electrochemical and biological effects on humans.- Thermal impact: Electrical energy, encountering resistance from body tissues, turns into thermal energy and causes electrical burns. Mostly, burns occur at the point of entry and exit of current, that is, in places of greatest resistance. As a result, the so-called current marks or signs. Thermal energy, converted from electrical energy, destroys and changes tissue along its path.
- Electrochemical effect:“gluing”, thickening of blood cells (platelets and leukocytes), movement of ions, change in protein charges, formation of steam and gas, giving tissues a cellular appearance, etc.
- Biological action: disruption of the nervous system, disruption of cardiac conduction, contraction of the skeletal muscles of the heart, etc.
What determines the severity and nature of electrical injury?
Factors of electric shock:- Type, strength and voltage
- Alternating current is more dangerous than direct current. At the same time, low-frequency currents (about 50-60 Hz) are more dangerous than high-frequency ones. The frequency of the current used in everyday life is 60 Hz. As the frequency increases, the current flows across the surface of the skin, causing burns, but not death.
- The most significant is the strength and voltage of the electric current.
| The body's response to the passage of alternating current | |
| Current strength | How does the victim feel? |
| 0.9-1.2 mA | The current is barely noticeable |
| 1.2-1.6 mA | Feeling of "goosebumps" or tingling |
| 1.6-2.8 mA | Feeling of heaviness in the wrist |
| 2.8-4.5 mA | Stiffness in the forearm |
| 4.5-5.0 mA | Convulsive contraction of the forearm |
| 5.0-7.0 mA | Convulsive contraction of the shoulder muscles |
| 15.0-20 mA | It's impossible to take your hand off the wire |
| 20-40 mA | Very painful muscle cramps |
| 50-100 mA | Heart failure |
| More than 200 mA | Very deep burns |
- High voltage current (over 1000 volts) causes more severe damage. High voltage electric shock can occur even when one step away from the current source (“voltaic arc”). As a rule, deaths occur as a result of high-voltage injuries. Low-voltage electric shocks are mostly common in households, and fortunately, the percentage of deaths from low-voltage electric shocks is lower than from high-voltage injuries.
- The path of current through the body
- The path that current takes through the body is called a current loop. The most dangerous is a full loop (2 arms - 2 legs), in which the current passes through the heart, causing disruptions in its functioning until it stops completely. The following loops are also considered dangerous: hand-head, hand-hand.
- Current duration
- The longer the contact with the current source, the more pronounced the damage and the higher the likelihood of death. When exposed to high voltage current, due to a sharp muscle contraction, the victim can be immediately thrown away from the current source. At lower voltages, muscle spasm may cause prolonged hand gripping of the conductor. As the time of exposure to current increases, the resistance of the skin decreases, so the victim’s contact with the current source should be stopped as soon as possible.
- Environmental factors
The risk of electric shock increases in damp and damp rooms (bathrooms, bathhouses, dugouts, etc.). - The outcome of electrical trauma also largely depends on age and body condition at the moment of defeat
- The severity of the lesion increases: childhood and old age, fatigue, exhaustion, chronic diseases, alcohol intoxication.
Degrees of electric shock
Electric Shock Hazard or consequences of electric shock
| System | Consequences |
Nervous system
|
|
The cardiovascular system
|
|
Respiratory system
|
|
| Sense organs
|
|
Striated and smooth muscles
|
|
Causes of death:
|
|
Long-term complications:
|
|
Electric shock sign or electrotag
| Electric tag– areas of tissue necrosis at the points of entry and exit of electric current. They arise due to the transition of electrical energy into thermal energy. | |||
| Form | Color | Characteristic signs | Photo |
| Round or oval, but can also be linear. Often there is a ridge-like elevation along the edges of the damaged skin, while the middle of the mark appears slightly sunken. Sometimes the top layer of skin may peel away in the form of blisters, but without fluid inside, unlike thermal burns. | Usually lighter than surrounding tissue - pale yellow or grayish white. | The marks are completely painless due to damage to the nerve endings. Deposition of conductor metal particles on the skin (copper - blue-green, iron-brown, etc.). When exposed to a low voltage current, metal particles are located on the surface of the skin, and when exposed to a high voltage current, they spread deep into the skin. The hair in the area of the marks is twisted into a spiral, maintaining its structure. | 
|
| Electrical burns are not always limited to marks on the skin. Quite often, damage to deeper tissues occurs: muscles, tendons, bones. Sometimes the lesions are located under apparently healthy skin. | |||
Help with electric shock
The consequences of electric shock largely depend on the provision of timely assistance.Should you call an ambulance?
There are cases of sudden death a few hours after electric shock. Based on this, any victim of an electric shock must be taken to a specialized hospital, where, if necessary, emergency assistance can be provided. Steps to help with electric shock
- Stop the impact of the current on the victim, following the established rules. Open the electrical circuit using a circuit breaker or switch, or unplug the plug from the outlet. Remove the current source from the victim using insulating objects (wooden stick, chair, clothing, rope, rubber gloves, dry towel, etc.). You should approach the victim wearing rubber or leather shoes on a dry surface or placing a rubber mat or dry boards under your feet.
If necessary, drag the victim away from the zone of action of the “step voltage” (at a distance of up to 10 m), holding him by a belt or dry clothing, without touching open parts of the body.
- Determine the presence of consciousness
- Take them by the shoulders, shake them (do not do this if you suspect a spinal injury), and ask loudly: What’s wrong with you? Do you need help?
- Assess the state of cardiac and respiratory activity. And, if necessary, carry out resuscitation measures according to the ABC algorithm (closed cardiac massage, artificial ventilation (mouth-to-mouth breathing)).
| ABC algorithm | What to do? | How to do? |
A | Clear the airways | It is necessary to perform a number of techniques to move the root of the tongue away from the back wall and thus remove the obstacle to the air flow.
|
IN | Check if there is breathing | Lean towards the victim’s chest and determine whether there is breathing movement in the chest. If it is visually difficult to determine whether there is breathing or not. You can bring a mirror to your mouth or nose, which will fog up if there is breathing, or you can bring a thin thread, which will deflect if there is breathing. |
WITH | Determine if pulse | The pulse is determined on the carotid artery, with the fingers bent at the phalanges. |
| At the present stage of medicine, it is recommended to begin resuscitation actions from point C - indirect cardiac massage, then A - release of the airways and B - artificial respiration. | ||
If breathing and pulse are not detected, you need to start resuscitation measures:
|
||
| Drug treatment. If measures are unsuccessful within 2-3 minutes, 1 ml of 0.1% adrenaline is administered (intravenously, intramuscularly or intracardially), a solution of calcium chloride 10% - 10 ml, a solution of strophanthin 0.05% - 1 ml diluted in 20 ml of a 40% solution glucose. | ||
| If there is breathing, the victim must be placed in a stable lateral position and wait for the ambulance to arrive.
|
||
4. Dry gauze or contour bandages should be applied to the burned surfaces. The application of ointment dressings is contraindicated. 5. If the victim is conscious, before the ambulance arrives, if necessary, you can give painkillers (analgin, ibuprofen, etc.) and/or a sedative (tincture of valerian, persen, ankylosing spondylitis, etc.).
6. The victim should be transported only in a lying position and covered warmly. 
Treatment in hospital
- All victims with symptoms of shock are hospitalized in the intensive care unit.
- Victims without signs of electrical or burn shock with limited electrical burns are hospitalized in surgical wards. According to indications, burn wounds are cleaned, bandaged, and medicated (cardiac and antiarrhythmic drugs, vitamins, etc.). If necessary, complex surgical interventions are performed to restore the integrity and functional capacity of damaged tissues and organs.
- Victims without local lesions, even in satisfactory condition, require hospitalization in the therapeutic department for further observation and examination. Since there are known cases of delayed complications, both from the cardiovascular system (cardiac arrest, cardiac arrhythmia, etc.), and from other systems (nervous, respiratory, etc.).
- People who have suffered an electrical injury often require long-term rehabilitation. Since the effect of electric current can cause long-term complications. Such complications include: damage to the central and peripheral nervous system (inflammation of the nerves - neuritis, trophic ulcers, encephalopathy), the cardiovascular system (disturbances in heart rhythm and conduction of nerve impulses, pathological changes in the heart muscle), the appearance of cataracts, hearing impairment, as well as functions of other organs and systems.
Protection against electric shock
The best protection against electric shock is to keep your head on your shoulders. It is necessary to clearly know all the requirements and safety rules when working with electric current, use the necessary personal protective equipment and be extremely careful when performing any work on electrical installations. Means of protection:
- Insulating pads and supports;
- Dielectric carpets, gloves, galoshes, caps;
- Portable grounding;
- Tools with insulated handles;
- Use of screens, partitions, chambers for protection against electric current;
- Use of special protective clothing (type Ep1-4);
- Reduce the time spent in the danger zone;
- Safety posters and signs.
- You should only approach live parts at a distance equal to the length of the insulating part of the electrical protective equipment.
- It is mandatory to use an individual shielding set of clothing when working in open switchgear with voltages of 330 kV and above.
- In electrical installations with voltages above 1000V, using a voltage indicator requires the use of dielectric gloves when working in electrical devices above 1000V.
- When a thunderstorm is approaching, all work on switchgear must be stopped.