Electric fencing and kids (human)

[cmjust0]

I dunno...looks pretty speculative to me.

The real question here is whether or not +/- 6KV with practically zero amperage pulsed for a fraction of a second can impart lasting neurological damage..

I know it imparts psychological damage, because if it didn't, I'd go home and try it. Problem is, I've been in the fence before and it's not something I wish to do ever again.

Or...actually...that's not a problem -- indeed, that's the goal!

 

[kimmyh]

I guess it is possible to do brain damage. I have seen many children shocked by a hot wire, most of them by touching the wire even after being told not too. None of them has suffered permanent damage to anything other than their pride.

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

Its not an issue. The brain can take way more than that. The hart is more of an Issue an for it to get zapped it would have to zap them in the chest an they would have to be grounded somehow in the middle of the back. Electricity does not like to go in to the body it tries to follow the skin around it. (AED 101)

On a side note, I think every boy I know including me peed on one at least once as a kid.

 

[Andrew C.]

Electricity does not like to go in to the body it tries to follow the skin around it.

I have heard that too, but how then does the fence induce a quick and strong muscle contraction ?

For it to induce a muscle contraction, surely it must go deeper than the skin. If your skin is wet yes, electricity will always follow the path of least resistance. Again I am no expert thats for sure and I don't mind to be wrong either.

If somebody is shocked repeatedly and continuously they will become unconsious then die if not removed from the fence. Would they become unconsious from the problems caused to the heart or brain ?

 

[cmjust0]

Statement:

If somebody is shocked repeatedly and continuously they will become unconsious then die if not removed from the fence.

Question:

Would they become unconsious from the problems caused to the heart or brain ?

You just posed a question based on your own statement, though the statement isn't something that's universally agreed upon.. It's kinda like saying "The sky is neon green. Is that a result of man's influence, or is it naturally that color?"

Here's the thing... Where electric fencers are concerned, the words "repeatedly" and "continuously" are diametrically opposed. Old fencers used to shock continuously, whereas new fencers will shock repeatedly in a pulse.. There can be no "and" there.

I wouldn't argue too much that if someone were shocked continuously by an electric fence, they may become unconscious and die, depending on the strength of the fence... That is, afterall, why they don't make those fencers anymore.

However, I'm just not convinced that a repeated pulse shock would kill you. It might make you wish you were dead, but kill you? I'd need to see some evidence....

 

[Andrew C.]

Where electric fencers are concerned, the words "repeatedly" and "continuously" are diametrically opposed. Old fencers used to shock continuously, whereas new fencers will shock repeatedly in a pulse.. There can be no "and" there.

I agree I worded it wrong, I meant shocked repetedly for a long period as in, entangled in the fence.

I copied and pasted the quote from the linked page. Visit the link for the full safety document.

You may need to copy and paste the web address, the link won't work for me.

http://www.infrastructure.sa.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/21412/ElectricFence_202331_web.pdf

In most cases, such contact results in a relatively harmless shock, and
usually the force of the first shock triggers awareness of the electric fence
so that contact is broken and other shocks do not follow.
However, there is a risk of serious injury or even death if you receive
multiple shocks over a long period (minutes to hours rather than
seconds).
Entrapment and being rendered unconscious while in contact with an
electric fence are two situations that can cause serious injury or death.
Physical entrapment can occur if you:
become entangled in the fence (electrified barbed wires pose a higher
risk of this and must not be used),
are trapped between an electric wire and a physical barrier such as a
water trough, a building or another part of the fence.

I don't want to seem argumentitive and I did consider the contradiction of terms you pointed out, but I couldn't think of how to put it at the time.:/

 

[cmjust0]

Ok, fair enough.

Here's a working link to the document , if anyone wants to read it.

 

[username taken]

How is it different? I'd actually say that it's remarkably similar...charger to head to foot, then through the earth back to the charger. Doesn't really matter if it's a cow or sheep or goat or horse or human.

I've seen goat kids weighing less than 20lbs get an 6,500V jolt right though the nose...they go "BAAH" and run away...then go right back to eating.

I have no proof of any possibility of neurological damage, but I have drawn a simple picture to show what I mean.

A goat will usually investigate things with thier nose, hence the current would go from nose to hooves, where as if a child was to be shocked on the head, the child would most likely touch it with the top of the head.

I have drawn the locations of the brain spinal chord and heart in each as closely as I know in blue, the current path in red, as you can see if a goat touches the fence with it's nose the current would not pass through its brain, brainstem, spinal chord or heart. I see my goats touch the fence with thier nose mainly the first time.

On the other hand if a child or any human for that matter touches the fence with the head the current path would pass through the brain and possibly the brain stem and the heart.

http://www.backyardherds.com/forum/uploads/1016_current_path.jpg

I am definately no expert but thats how I see it. As I wrote "maybe neurological damage" It would be very difficult to know if any subtle neuro damage was done to a goat such as learning difficulties. A goat dosn't need to learn to read and write. Better to safe than sorry.

Sorry, but this made me giggle.

Anyone who has small children, and watches them for a few minutes, knows the child is more likely to reach out and grab/touch the fence with their hand first, rather than their forehead.

 

[Bil]

About girls being curious about electric fences, the statistics show that 66% are curious and 33% are not.

I have 3 daughters. The oldest and youngest "just had to try it out" to see what it felt like. Our middle daughter took our word for it.

That's our scientific study.

Bil

 

[chandasue]

I read about a small child actually being KILLED by a modern fencer, the child's head touched the wire when the child was well-grounded on wet grass. Extremely rare situation, but why risk it?

I actually know someone whose child died from a new electric fence just a couple years ago. He was 3 years old I believe at the time. They found him face down under the fence. It appeared that he tried to climb under the fence and the wire zapped right across the top of his head. Scared the doo-doo out of me and I won't have electric fencing on our property until my kid is much older. Not worth the risk. Just my opinion though...