Electrocution is an accidental shock from an electric power line or a closed circuit system. The impacts coming from an electrocution may be a minor injury, major injury or instant death depending on the voltage involved.
When an electrocution occurs and impacts a minor injury to the victim, it simply means the voltage supply of the electric power line was not high enough to cause severe injury.
Except otherwise stated; one would say that the voltage rating of any power supply is proportional to the potential damage it can cause including the severity of electrocution it can render.
Those working with public power supply firms do experience both minor and major electrocutions while in some cases some of them may not be lucky to escape instant death from electrocutions coming from high tension power lines. Whichever way we define it, electrocution is dangerous at any level and should be avoided.
If humans can be electrocuted by touching or having any body contact with any live public power lines, how come birds do perch on the same power lines without being electrocuted? Isn’t that amazing?
To understand what actually differentiates humans from birds in terms of electrocution, relax and go through this post carefully.
Electric power lines consist of two major voltage carriers;
The live line
&
The neutral line.
The Live Line
The live line carries the higher voltage and more dangerous to cause electrocution, while
The Neutral Line
The neutral line can only shock based on some factors such as closed circuit system.
difference in the AC power supply lines (i.e. Live & Neutral lines)
The difference in the AC power supply lines (i.e. Live & Neutral lines), can be likened to lines of DC power supply having positive wires and negative wires.
Why Electric High Tensions Usually Electrocute Humans
The human body has been found to be a conductor of electricity, that simply means that current and voltage can pass through the human body just as they would in any metallic material.
The above reason is the major factor why humans are prone to electrocution if any part of the body touches any live electric power supply.
However, when it comes to the birds, the case is usually different.
Why Electric High Tensions Do Not Electrocute The Birds
Birds ought to have the same characteristics of electrical conductivity with humans but that was not the case.
Rather, the following makes it impossible for the electric high tension to electrocute the birds:
1. The birds have their bodies shielded by their feathers,
2. The birds mouth is shielded with long electrical resistant beak.
3. The birds two legs were equipped with rubber-like skin which also made the legs to be resistant to electricity.
Detailed Explanation of the Three Main Electricity Resistance Features of Birds
Assuming the features of the birds mentioned above were not there from the beginning, over 1000 birds would have been dying daily from electrocution across the whole world.
Therefore those features gave the bird’s extreme edge against humans to climb on electric power lines and play on it without any sign of electric shock coming to their body.
It is believed that is a bird has a broken leg that actually pieced its skin which eventually exposed the internal body, if the bird makes any mistake of climbing on any live electric power line, then it will receive sudden electrocution followed by instant death.
Conclusion
The post has discussed the three basic reasons when birds are not electrocuted. In other words, why electric high tensions do not electrocute the Birds. This will answer the question next time you see birds playing on a live line of high tension while humans cannot do the same. Feel free to give us your feedback through the comment section.
