Burns Electrocution usually is accompanied by heat and arcs. The passage of an electric current along any conductor is accompanied by the dissipation of heat. According to Joule's Law, the heat dissipated is directly proportional to I2RT, where I is the current in amperes, R the resistance in ohms and T the time in seconds. As the skin is the site of highest resistance in the body, it is here that burning is most likely to occur when contact is made with a live conductor. Such burns may be deeper than they first appear to be upon clinical examination.
Healing is often slow.
If an earthed conductor is brought close to another conductor at a high voltage, the insulation of the air between them may break down, giving rise to a spark. This ionises the air, considerably lowering its resistance, which in turn allows the current to increase so that an electric arc is set up. If the earthed conductor is a human being who comes too close to a highvoltage line, he will be burned by the arc without actually coming into contact with the conductor. The burns are often worsened by the ignition of clothing. Before operating any machine or electrical system, one should become acquainted with all safety rules concerning the machine or system.