This article was posted 08/13/2007 and is most likely outdated.

The Confusion Surrounding “Stray Voltage”
 

 

Topic - Grounding and Bonding
Subject - The Confusion Surrounding “Stray Voltage”

August 13, 2007
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The Confusion Surrounding “Stray Voltage”


 

ImageWhile “stray voltage” has been a concern for farm livestock for many years, it is only within the past few years that the term has been associated with human fatalities. The industry has seen an expansion of the term’s usage to describe events that some engineers feel is incorrect. This situation has resulted in costs to utilities exceeding many millions of dollars that has a questionable impact on customers increased safety.

 

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the confusion that now exists in the area of “stray voltage”. The paper will discuss the traditional definition of the term “stray voltage”, as well as the recent usage of the phrase to describe more dangerous conditions such as step-and-touch voltages, temporary overvoltages, contact voltages, etc. Finally, the paper will address the status of the industries response to this issue. It will discuss the measures taken by some utilities as well as the IEEE to establish some sort of industry guidelines to address these issues.

 

Click here to review this paper written by Jim Burke, InfraSource Inc., Fellow, IEEE

 

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Comments
  • Jim Burke's article is excellent but there is one deceptive phrase that should be qualified. He says the resistance of the human body is 500 ohms. This is only true if one neglects the skin. Dry skin's resistance is very much higher. This leads many to believe that a 120 volt shock the receive from an appliance is annoying but not dangerous. The same shock received while one is standing in salt water and has wet hands would be fatal.

    How one uses the term stray voltage is not determined by me, but I think induced currents and resulting voltage drops should be included. Bob

    Bob

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