Emergency guide
First aid for electric shock
Everything on this page is for a domestic 230 V shock. High-voltage overhead lines, substations and railway conductors need a much larger exclusion zone — stand back at least 25 metres and call 999. Guidance below is based on NHS and Resuscitation Council UK advice.
If someone is not breathing — call 999 now
The 999 operator will talk you through CPR and locate the nearest public AED. Do not stop compressions to look for one — send someone else. Every minute without CPR reduces the chance of survival by roughly 10%.
Step-by-step
- 1
Do not touch the casualty while they are still in contact with the supply
230 V mains will pass through you too. If the casualty is still holding a live cable, tool or appliance, do not grab them. This is the most important rule.
- 2
Switch off the supply — the main switch on the consumer unit is the fastest way
Pulling the main switch to OFF isolates the whole property in one movement. If you can't reach the consumer unit, pull the plug out at the wall (grip the plug body, not the flex) or turn the socket switch off.
- 3
If you cannot isolate the supply, break the contact with something non-conductive
Stand on something dry that insulates you from the floor (a rubber mat, a folded newspaper stack, a dry wooden chair) and use a wooden broom handle or plastic implement to push the casualty away from the source. Never use anything metal, damp, or your bare hands.
- 4
Call 999 as soon as the casualty is clear
Every mains electric shock needs medical assessment even if the person seems fine — the current can cause delayed cardiac arrhythmias, deep tissue burns and internal injuries you cannot see. Tell the operator it was an electric shock.
- 5
Check breathing. If not breathing normally, start CPR
Tilt the head back, lift the chin, look and listen for breathing for up to 10 seconds. If they are not breathing normally, give 30 chest compressions (centre of the chest, 5–6 cm deep, 100–120 per minute) followed by 2 rescue breaths, and repeat until help arrives or an AED is available.
- 6
Treat burns with cool running water
Electric shock causes entry and exit burns — often on the hands and feet. Cool the burn under running water for at least 20 minutes. Cover loosely with cling film or a clean, non-fluffy cloth. Do not apply creams, butter, ice or plasters.
- 7
Put an unconscious but breathing casualty in the recovery position
Roll them onto their side, with the top leg bent to stop them rolling further, head tilted back so the airway stays open. Stay with them and monitor breathing until the ambulance arrives.
Never
- ✕Touch a casualty who is still in contact with the electricity supply.
- ✕Use anything wet or metal to try to break the contact.
- ✕Move a casualty who may have fallen from height until paramedics arrive, unless they are in immediate danger.
- ✕Assume "they seem fine" means no medical care needed — cardiac effects can appear hours later.
After the ambulance leaves
Do not switch the supply back on until an electrician has established what caused the shock. Leave the main switch off and label the consumer unit with a note. The circuit that caused the fault is the priority — but a shock from a Class I appliance may also indicate a broken CPC (earth) somewhere in the fixed installation, which needs testing before the property is re-energised.