[keyser soze]

i cleaned some yesterday and kept getting a shock . is there something i should be doing to keep me safe ? is it dangerous ?

[Smudger]

Oooooooohhhhhh dear.................... 😩


This could be painful....

Darran

[keyser soze]

what do you mean darren

[Rich Wilts]

A shock?

What, like the customer didn't want to pay you and you were shocked type shock?

You turned up and the muck on the panels was really stubborn type shock?

[keyser soze]

funny ,i received an electrical shock . several times, not a bad one but could feel it

[Rich Wilts]

Well, that's interesting. Glad it didn't do any harm. There's plenty of guys on here who've been educated in this particular field of cleaning. I'm sure at least one of them will be willing to part with the 'golden egg' of solar panel cleaning and personal safety information to help prevent a reoccurrence.

I couldn't possibly help you as I'm only self-certified and that counts for nought, sorry, but I would if I could   .  . 



Darren? Any ideas? 

[keyser soze]

i was thinking next time using some rubber gloves. unfortunately i never had any on the day .

[Bungle]

Over to you SS, oh hang on a minute, he won't be in until he wants a subby or he wants to show us his next project.

[Rich Wilts]

Right, I'd written a whole load out for you then lost it when the post disappeared. I'll start again.

There are two types of current we are familiar with in this country.

DC - what solar panels produce

AC - what we have running through the ring mains in our houses.

AC and DC currents can both be fatal. So far as DC is concerned the likelihood of a fatality when shocked often comes down to where the current enters the body and where it leaves. The most likely to be fatal route through the body is in through one hand and out through the other. This way it's most likely to cause a cardiac arrest. If it enters via a hand and leaves through a foot it's less likely to kill but can still.

To help avoid accidents. If you ever feel a shock whilst cleaning solar panels, stop immediately and don't continue. Tell the owner.

You can wear electrical insulation gloves and boots suitable for working in this sort of environment.

http://www.cablejoints.co.uk/upload/Insulating_Boots.pdf

http://www.cablejoints.co.uk/sub-product-details/insulating-gloves-boots-lv-hv

If possible, although not always easy considering what we do try to keep the working environment dry, electricity loves damp environments.

Work off rubber mats where possible.

That'll be £195.00 plus VAT.

[Nick Day]

Well done quarter light, at least one of you has finally understood what Health and Safety law is all about.

[paulben]

I was told to get customer to turn off the inverter that way shock will only be from panels

[Smudger]

Matt, I'd love to help but my self certified training ( done in conjunction with a local installation company )
Has vital and sensitive information, which may result in my solar cleaning operation being compromised


Darran

[dazmond]

i cleaned some the other month and i too kept getting little electric shocks down my right arm as i was cleaning.i had rubber gloves on and rubber soled boots.it was like a static electric shock you get sometimes when you touch a car.

[Og]

DC tingle!

[johnny bravo]

would it stop if the home owner switched every thing off which is connected up to the pannels  from the house.

[keyser soze]

am i lucky to be alive ?

[Rich Wilts]

Anyone on here seriously assessing what happened from a forum posting is doing you and themselves a dis-service. If you're unsure what happened then I'd suggest you stop cleaning panels. In your position I would also speak to a local company that installs and services them. So you get if from the horses mouth as to what is involved with the wiring of SPs and what the likely risks and consequences are should this fail.

Saying that, maybe try to keep it in perspective. More people are killed or injured each year by falling off ladders whilst window cleaning compared to those who've been solar panel cleaning. There's a risk in everything we do but there are precautions we can all implement in to our work lives.

[paulben]

I was told by an installer to turn off at invertor that way worst is just dc from panels and not ac from invertor

[keyser soze]

ill just wear the special rubber gloves in future.

[paulben]

Rubber gloves ,Rubber wellies just need rubber suit and gas mask and you will be ready for a party break out the vasaline