Final answer:
Blasters must halt operations and find shelter during electrical storms as mandated by safety regulations. Plastic insulation on wires prevents both shock and thermal hazards. The lightning rod protects buildings, and the metal car acts as a Faraday cage keeping passengers safe from electric fields.
Step-by-step explanation:
What precautions must the blaster take during an electrical storm? What does the Code require? During an electrical storm, a blaster must suspend all blasting activities and seek shelter to reduce the risk of lightning-related injuries or incidents. According to safety regulations and Codes, personnel should retreat to a safe distance from the explosives and wait until the storm has passed before resuming any activities. The Code typically entails strict compliance to safety measures that include cessation of all operations that may attract lightning or be at risk during a storm.
Regarding electrical safety, plastic insulation on live or hot wires is meant to prevent both shock and thermal hazards by acting as a non-conductive barrier, thereby reducing the risk of electric shock or fires.
When discussing electric fields and conductors, an electric field applied to an irregular conductor can cause the electric charges within the conductor to redistribute, often concentrating at points or edges where the curvature is greatest. This can lead to increased potential for discharge or arcing in those areas.
A lightning rod works by providing a path of least resistance for electric charges to flow to the ground, thus protecting the structure it's attached to from direct lightning hits.
Furthermore, the concept of Faraday's cage explains why a metal car can protect the inhabitants. When a live electric line comes in contact with a metal car, the electric field is distributed around the exterior of the car and the current flows through the car's conductive frame safely into the ground, shielding the passengers inside from electric fields.
The two major hazards of electricity are thermal hazards and shock hazards. A short circuit is not considered a direct shock hazard to humans because the electric current follows a path of least resistance that typically does not involve human contact.
The severity of a shock is determined by the current that flows through the body, not just the voltage. Factors such as resistance and pathway through the body are crucial in assessing the potential danger, and therefore one cannot state that a certain voltage level is hazardous without further details about the conditions and context.
In terms of lightning, a golfer with a metal club over her shoulder is particularly vulnerable as the metal can act as a conductor, and being in an open space increases the risk of being a strike point for lightning. Taking shelter under a tree is not recommended as trees can attract lightning and increase the risk of harm.