The Effects on Metal From High-Voltage Contact
Electrical current kills more than 1,000 people in the United States each year, Colorado State University estimates. This figure suggests that everyone working around high-voltage electrical equipment even standing nearby must observe common safety practices. One problem with high voltage occurs when the devices or power lines make contact with metal.
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Conducts
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Metal conducts electricity; when high voltage makes contact with the metal device, all the metal becomes a conduit for the power supply. The amount of voltage that runs through the high voltage line or device will transfer to the metal parts. Any part of the metal you touch thereafter will expose you to electrical shock. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration considers anything more than 600 volts as high voltage. Voltage this high can cause electrical burns, shock or even death.
Melting
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A high-voltage line can also cause metal to melt at the contact point. Steel has a melting point of approximately 1,370 degrees Celsius, for example. Other metals can have higher or lower melting temperatures. High-voltage power lines have enough voltage to produce temperatures this high. Once the high-voltage line makes contact with the metal, the metal begins to melt. The metal will continue to melt as long as it remains in contact with the high voltage.
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Arcing
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Arcing, one major effect of high voltage on metal, begins once the high voltage makes contact with the metal. Arcing looks like small balls of fire or sparks thrown out from the metal. The high-voltage line continues to send power through the line and into the steel. The power causes the metal to melt, and the melted metal has no place to go. Since voltage is still traveling into the metal, it causes the melted metal sparks to fly out from the contact point.
Fire
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High voltage creates a fire hazard when it makes contact with metal. The sparks and melted metal can cause wood, grass or other burnable material to catch fire. Any wooden structure near a high-voltage line that makes contact with metal is susceptible to fire dangers. The metal sparks made by high-voltage contact can also cause the grass, brush or trees surrounding the contact point to catch fire. Any employee working on or nearby high-voltage must wear the appropriate personal protective equipment.
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References
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