# Electric shock

> Switch the power off at the breaker or pull the plug. Do not touch the person while the current is on.

A person in contact with live electricity is part of the circuit. Touching them makes you the second casualty. Every electrical injury needs medical assessment, even when the skin looks fine.

## Stap voor stap
1. Switch off the circuit breaker, pull the plug, or have the supply cut. That is step one, not step two.
2. For high voltage or overhead lines, stay at least twenty metres away and wait for the utility company. Voltage arcs and travels through the ground.
3. Once the power is confirmed off, check whether the person responds and is breathing normally.
4. Call 112 and say electric shock, so they check for heart rhythm problems.
5. If breathing is not normal, start CPR and use a defibrillator as soon as one arrives.
6. Cool burns under running cool water for twenty minutes, then cover loosely with a clean non fluffy dressing or cling film.
7. Look for a second burn where the current left the body, usually on a hand or a foot.

## Doe dit nooit
- Do not touch the person, or anything they are touching, until the power is off.
- Do not use water on or near a live circuit.
- Do not let anyone go home unchecked after a shock through the body. Heart rhythm can fail hours later.

## Bel het alarmnummer als
- Any mains voltage shock that passed through the body.
- Any high voltage or lightning contact.
- Burns, unconsciousness, an irregular heartbeat, confusion or muscle pain after the shock.

## Alarmnummers
112 - Alarmnummer

## Veelgestelde vragen
### Is a small shock harmless?
A brief tingle from a household socket with no symptoms usually is. If the person was thrown, could not let go, felt chest pain or lost consciousness, they need a hospital check with an ECG.

### What about a lightning strike?
Lightning casualties are safe to touch immediately. Treat the ones who appear dead first, because their hearts often restart with prompt CPR.

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Gebruik op eigen risico. Uitsluitend voor educatie en onderzoek, geen medisch advies. Controleer nummers en regels van het land waar je bent. Ze veranderen.
Source: https://emergency-cards.com/nl/elektrische-schok/
Reviewed: 2026-07-26