Electrical Safety Aspects of the Resistance Property of Materials

Electrical shock is caused by the passage of electrical current through the body. Electrical burns can be among the most severe because the current passes through the body and internal organs. The amount of current that flows through the body is estimated in many sources as the ratio of the applied voltage to the resistance to current flow presented by the human body. This chapter examines the phenomenon of body resistance and its inverse, body conductance. In the case of shock hazards, circuit resistance in combination with body resistance will help to determine the magnitude and duration of the exposure to voltage and current. The hazards associated with high power industrial resistors are primarily due to their open construction, which is necessary for cooling. The chapter talks about sheet resitivity, spreading resistance, particle conductivity, and cable resistance.