AS/NZS 60479.1:2002
Superseded
A superseded Standard is one, which is fully replaced by another Standard, which is a new edition of the same Standard.
View Superseded by
Effects of current on human beings and livestock General aspects
Hardcopy , PDF 1 User , PDF 3 Users , PDF 5 Users , PDF 9 Users
03-29-2023
English
10-03-2002
Provides basic guidance on the general aspects of the effects of electrical currents on persons and livestock for the establishment of electrical safety requirements. This Standard has been reproduced from and is technically identical with IEC 60479-1:1994.
Committee |
EL-001
|
DocumentType |
Standard
|
ISBN |
0 7337 4867 8
|
Pages |
32
|
PublisherName |
Standards Australia
|
Status |
Superseded
|
SupersededBy | |
Supersedes | |
UnderRevision |
For a given current path through the human body, the danger to persons depends mainly on the magnitude and duration of the current flow. However, the time/current zones specified in the following clauses are, in many cases, not directly applicable in practice for designing protection against electrical shock, the necessary criterion being the admissible limit of touch voltage (i.e. the product of the current through the body and the body impedance) as a function of time. The relationship between current and voltage is not linear because the impedance of the human body varies with the touch voltage, and data on this relationship is therefore required. The different parts of the human body - such as the skin, blood, muscles, other tissues and joints - present to the electric current a certain impedance composed of resistive and capacitive components.The values of these impedances depend on a number of factors and, in particular, on the current path, on the touch voltage, the duration of the current flow, the frequency, the degree of moisture of the skin, the surface area of contact, the pressure exerted and on the temperature.The impedance values indicated in this Technical Report result from a close examination of the experimental results available from measurements carried out principally on corpses and on some living persons.Clause 3 is primarily based on the findings related to the effects of current at frequencies of 50 Hz or 60 Hz which are the most common in electrical installations. The values given are, however, deemed applicable over the frequency range from 15 Hz to 100 Hz, threshold values at the limits of this range being higher than those at 50 Hz or 60 Hz. It is considered principally the risk of ventricular fibrillation which is the main cause of fatal accidents in that range of frequencies.Accidents with direct current are much less frequent than would be expected from the number of d.c. applications, and fatal accidents occur only under very unfavourable conditions, for example, in mines. This is partly due to the fact that with direct current, the let-go of parts gripped is less difficult and that for shock durations longer than the period of the cardiac cycle, the threshold of ventricular fibrillation remains considerably higher than for alternating current.The main differences between the effects of a.c. and d.c. on the human body result from the fact that excitatory actions of the current (stimulation of nerves and muscles, induction of cardiac atrial or ventricular fibrillation) are linked to the changes of the current magnitude especially when making and breaking the current. To produce the same excitatory effects the magnitude of direct current flow of constant strength is two to four times greater than that of alternating current.
Standards | Relationship |
IEC TS 60479-1:1994 | Identical |
First published as part of MP 30-1976.
Revised and redesignated as AS 3859-1991.
Jointly revised and redesignated in part as AS/NZS 60479.1:2002.
AS/NZS 60479.2:2002 | Effects of current on human beings and livestock Special aspects |
AS/NZS 3835.2:2006 | Earth potential rise - Protection of telecommunications network users, personnel and plant Application guide |
AS 1674.2-2007 | Safety in welding and allied processes Electrical (Reconfirmed 2018) |
AS/NZS 3017:2007 | Electrical installations - Verification guidelines |
AS 1418.10(INT)-2004 | Cranes, hoists and winches Elevating work platforms |
AS/NZS 3000:2007 | Electrical installations (known as the Australian/New Zealand Wiring Rules) |
AS 2067-2008 | Substations and high voltage installations exceeding 1 kV a.c. |
HB 242-2007 | High voltage mining equipment for use underground (Reconfirmed 2019) |
AS 2067:2016 | Substations and high voltage installations exceeding 1 kV a.c. |
AS 2832.3-2005 | Cathodic protection of metals Fixed immersed structures |
AS/NZS 60479.3:2002 | Effects of current on human beings and livestock Effects of currents passing through the body of livestock (Reconfirmed 2016) |
AS 2832.4-2006 | Cathodic protection of metals Internal surfaces (Reconfirmed 2016) |
AS/NZS 3835.1:2006 | Earth potential rise - Protection of telecommunications network users, personnel and plant Code of practice |
Access your standards online with a subscription
Features
-
Simple online access to standards, technical information and regulations.
-
Critical updates of standards and customisable alerts and notifications.
-
Multi-user online standards collection: secure, flexible and cost effective.