What is the most important thing to do first when someone gets an electric shock?

Do NOT touch the casualty if they are still in contact with the electrical source. Touching them can put the current through you, making you a second casualty. Make the situation safe first: switch off at the socket or the main switch, making sure the switch you use feeds whatever they are touching. Only for a household or other low-voltage supply, and only if you cannot switch off, St John Ambulance (voluntary guidance) describes standing on something dry that insulates, a wooden box or a plastic mat for example, and pushing the limb away with a broom handle or wooden pole, without touching the person. Go to them only once you are sure the contact has been broken.

Should I call 999 even if the person seems fine after an electric shock?

Yes. St John Ambulance’s steps for an electric shock from a low-voltage supply end with a call to 999 for emergency help, and they make no exception for someone who seems well. That is voluntary guidance, not law. You cannot judge a shock by how the person looks: HSE says current heats the tissue all along its path and can burn deep, and the NHS says any burn caused by electricity needs 999 or A&E.

How do I do CPR on an electric shock casualty?

Only once the person is clear of the supply and it is safe to go near. The Resuscitation Council UK (2025) says: check whether they respond (shout, and gently shake their shoulders). If they do not, call 999 straight away on speaker, then check their breathing while the call is answered; the call handler can help. If they are not breathing normally, and gasping counts as not normal, start chest compressions in the centre of the chest, at least 5 cm and no more than 6 cm deep, 100 to 120 a minute. If you have been trained in rescue breaths, give 30 compressions then 2 breaths; if not, keep doing compressions without stopping. Send someone for a defibrillator, switch it on and follow its prompts. Keep going until the ambulance crew takes over or the person shows signs of life. There is no pulse check for lay rescuers.

Is a 230V shock dangerous?

Yes. HSE says as little as 50 volts across two parts of the body can drive a current that blocks the signals from the brain to the muscles. That may stop the heart beating properly, stop breathing or cause muscle spasms. HSE adds that the effect depends on things such as the voltage, where the current passes through the body, how wet the person is and how long it lasts. Household mains is well above 50 volts, so treat any shock from it as serious.

What are the signs that someone has been badly hurt by an electric shock?

St John Ambulance lists a burn and a cardiac arrest as signs of electric shock. HSE adds that spasms can stop a person letting go, break bones or dislocate joints, and can throw them from a ladder or into machinery. A person who does not respond and is not breathing normally, including gasping, is in cardiac arrest and needs 999 and CPR at once. A small mark on the skin does not mean a small injury, because current can burn deep along its path. Call 999 after any shock, even if there are no signs at all.

Can an electric shock cause problems later on?

This guide does not give a time scale for delayed effects, because the sources it follows do not. What they do say is enough to act on: call 999 after any shock from an electrical supply (St John Ambulance), treat any electrical burn as a 999 call (the NHS lists every burn caused by electricity for 999 or A&E), and if the person stops responding or their breathing becomes abnormal at any point, call 999 and start CPR (Resuscitation Council UK).

What is different about high-voltage electric shock first aid?

Do not approach. HSE’s guidance on overhead power lines (GS6) says never touch the wires and assume they are live, even if they are not sparking and look dead, because lines can be switched back on automatically after a few seconds or remotely later. If a live wire is on the ground, the ground around it may be live, so keep a safe distance from it and anything it touches, and keep others away. Call 999, say power lines are involved, and ask for the line’s owner to be contacted. Stay away until the line’s owner says it has been made safe. No safe distance in metres is given for a rescue. High voltage can also arc through the air, so near exposed high-voltage equipment you can be hurt without touching anything. The broom-handle method is never for overhead lines or high voltage.

FIRST AID GUIDE

Electric Shock First Aid UK: What to Do, and What Not to Do

What to do when someone gets an electric shock in the UK. The most important rule: do NOT touch the casualty while they are in contact with the source. Get 999 called early, ideally by a bystander on speaker, while you switch off the supply. Call 999 even if they seem fine, and start CPR if they do not respond and are not breathing normally. This guide is not a substitute for practical first aid training.

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12 min readUpdated 2026-10-29Andrew Moore, Founder of Elec-Mate

Written and reviewed by Andrew Moore, founder of Elec-Mate, against BS 7671:2018+A4:2026, IET Guidance Note 3 and the IET On-Site Guide.

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Key takeaways

01NEVER touch a person who is still in contact with the electrical source, or anything they are touching. You could become a second casualty. Switch off or isolate the supply first.
02Call 999 after any electric shock from an electrical supply, even if the person seems fine. St John Ambulance’s electric shock steps end with that call.
03If the person does not respond, call 999 on speaker straight away, then check their breathing. If it is not normal, including gasping, start CPR and get a defibrillator.
04Household mains is dangerous: HSE says as little as 50 volts across two parts of the body can stop the heart beating properly or stop breathing.
05Any burn caused by electricity needs 999 or A&E, the NHS says, however small it looks. On site, call 999 for a burn caused by electricity.
06Overhead lines and high voltage: never approach. Assume the line is live, keep others away, call 999 and stay back until the line’s owner says it has been made safe.

01 · First Aid Guide

CRITICAL: Do NOT Touch the Casualty While They Are in Contact with the Source

Do NOT touch the casualty if they are still in contact with the electrical source.

A person still touching a live part is part of the circuit. If you touch them, their clothes or anything they are touching, the current can pass through you as well. Then there are two casualties and nobody left to help.

The order that keeps you both alive:

Shout for help and get 999 called: if someone else is there, they call on speaker while you deal with the supply; on your own, call as soon as you safely can
Make the situation safe: switch off or isolate the supply
Only then go to the casualty, once you are sure the contact is broken

This order is not about putting the power before the person. It is the only way to help the casualty without becoming one yourself. HSE’s first-aid leaflet also starts with the same priorities: assess the situation without putting yourself at risk, make the area safe, and send for help without delay. Getting the 999 call started while you make safe is how both happen at once.

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02 · First Aid Guide

How to Isolate the Electrical Supply

Switching off removes the danger to the casualty and to you. HSE says after a shock the supply must be cut off quickly and help given. The way to do it depends on the situation.

Turn off at the consumer unit: if you can reach it safely without crossing the affected area, turn off the main switch. Anything on the supply side of the main switch, such as the meter and its cables, stays live, so if the person is touching anything there, treat them as still live.
Switch off the appliance at the wall: if the casualty is touching a faulty tool, appliance or lead, switch it off at the socket, without touching the casualty or the damaged equipment. Make sure it is the socket that feeds what they are touching; if you are not sure, treat them as still live.
If you cannot switch off the supply: only for a household or other low-voltage supply, St John Ambulance (voluntary guidance) describes standing on dry insulating material (a wooden box or a plastic mat, for example) and pushing the person’s arm or leg away from the source with a broom handle or wooden pole. If that will not work, loop rope round their arms or ankles and pull them clear. Never touch the person, and never use anything metal or damp.
Overhead lines and high voltage: do not approach. Assume the line or equipment is live, even if it is quiet or looks dead. Keep everyone back, call 999, say power lines are involved, and ask for the line’s owner to be contacted. Stay away until the line’s owner says it has been made safe. No safe distance in metres is given for a rescue.

03 · First Aid Guide

Call 999 for Every Electric Shock

Call 999 for emergency help after any electric shock from an electrical supply, even if the person says they feel fine. St John Ambulance’s electric shock steps end with that call and set no condition on it. For anyone who does not respond, the Resuscitation Council UK says call 999 straight away.

Tell the call handler:
- That the person has had an electric shock
- Whether they are responding and breathing
- Exactly where you are
- Whether the supply has been switched off
- Any burns or injuries you can see, and any fall
Put the phone on speaker and stay on the line: the call handler can help you check breathing and talk you through CPR while the ambulance is on its way.
If someone else is there: ask one named person to call 999 while you deal with the supply, and another to fetch a defibrillator if there is one nearby.

04 · First Aid Guide

CPR If the Casualty Is Not Breathing Normally

Once the person is clear of the source and it is safe to go near, follow the Resuscitation Council UK 2025 guidelines: check, call, CPR. HSE says an electric shock can stop the heart beating properly.

Check for a response: shout to them and gently shake their shoulders. If there is no response, shout for help.
Call 999 straight away, on speaker, for anyone who does not respond. Since 2025 you no longer wait to confirm their breathing first.
Check their breathing while the call is answered. Slow, laboured breathing or gasping is not normal breathing: it is a sign of cardiac arrest. If in doubt, start CPR. Do not check for a pulse.
Start chest compressions: push hard in the centre of the chest, at least 5 cm but no more than 6 cm deep, 100 to 120 times a minute, which is about twice a second. Let the chest come back up fully each time.
Rescue breaths only if trained: if you have been trained, give 30 compressions then 2 breaths. If you have not, keep giving compressions without stopping. The call handler will guide you.
Use a defibrillator (AED) as soon as one arrives: switch it on and follow its prompts. Anyone can use one, and it will only allow a shock if one is needed. Make sure nobody touches the person during analysis or the shock. It can usually be used on a wet floor as long as nobody is touching the person when the shock is given; dry a wet chest so the pads stick.
Keep going until the ambulance crew takes over, the person starts to show signs of life, such as breathing normally or moving with purpose, or you are too exhausted to carry on.

05 · First Aid Guide

Low Voltage vs High Voltage: What Changes

Low voltage does not mean low risk. What changes with high voltage is how you can help: with low voltage you switch off and then help; with high voltage you stay back.

Low voltage: includes household mains (230V)
HSE says as little as 50 volts across two parts of the body can stop the heart beating properly, stop breathing or cause muscle spasms. How bad a shock is depends on things such as the voltage, where the current passes through the body, how wet the person is and how long it lasts. Spasms can stop the person letting go. A domestic supply can cause deep burns if the current flows for more than a split second.
High voltage: overhead lines and high-voltage equipment
HSE’s guidance HSG85 defines high voltage as more than 1000 V AC or 1500 V DC. HSE says high voltage can arc across an air gap, so you can be shocked or burned without touching anything live. Arcing can cause deep, slow-healing burns and its ultraviolet light can damage the eyes. Never approach: keep others back, call 999 and, for an overhead line, stay away until the line’s owner says it has been made safe. Many low-voltage overhead lines have bare wires too, so treat every overhead line the same way.

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06 · First Aid Guide

After the Shock: Burns, Falls and Getting Help

Once the person is clear and 999 has been called, look for burns and for injuries from any fall, and keep watching their breathing until help arrives.

Any electrical burn needs 999 or A&E, the NHS says. Hold it under cool running water for 20 minutes, as soon as you can. Take off clothing or jewellery near it unless stuck to the burn, then lay cling film over it without wrapping it round. No creams, oils, butter or plasters, and do not burst blisters.
Cooling must not delay hospital: HSE’s first-aid leaflet makes this point, and St John Ambulance and the British Red Cross (voluntary guidance) warn against cooling so much of the body that the person gets too cold.
Think about a fall: HSE says a shock can throw a person off a ladder or into nearby machinery. After a fall from height, the Resuscitation Council UK says do not put the person in the recovery position. Keep the neck as still as you can, never force them into a position, and remember that opening the airway always comes first. Tell the call handler about the fall.
Spasms can break bones: HSE says the muscle spasms from a shock can be violent enough to break bones or dislocate joints.

Do not let the casualty drive themselves: the NHS says not to drive yourself to A&E. A burn from current means they have had a shock, so call 999 and wait for the ambulance.

07 · First Aid Guide

Why a Shock Can Look Minor When It Is Not

People often shake off a shock and say they are fine. How someone looks straight afterwards is not a safe guide, and that is why this guide says call 999 after every shock from an electrical supply.

Burns can be deep: HSE explains that current heats the tissue all along its path, and the burns that result can be deep, often need major surgery and can be permanently disabling. The mark on the skin tells you nothing about what lies underneath.
You cannot tell in advance: HSE’s guidance HSG85 says a shock does not always cause lasting injury, but in some circumstances it can kill. Nobody at the scene can tell which.
Keep watching while you wait: if the person stops responding, or their breathing becomes slow, laboured or gasping, treat it as cardiac arrest: make sure 999 knows and start CPR. A short burst of jerking at collapse can be the start of a cardiac arrest; once it stops, check their breathing.

Stay with the person until help arrives. If you are not sure whether something is serious, the 999 call handler can advise you.

08 · First Aid Guide

Prevention: Reducing the Risk of Electric Shock

The best electric shock first aid is never needing it. St John Ambulance says shocks are generally caused by loose or faulty switches, faulty appliances and worn flexes, and handling electrical items with wet hands.

Test your RCDs regularly: HSE says an RCD rated at no more than 30mA can save your life, though it cannot protect against every type of shock. Press the test button and check that it trips, as often as the notice beside it says. See our home electrical safety guide for full testing instructions.
Use RCD protection for power tools: HSE advises using an RCD wherever possible, particularly outdoors and in damp places. A plug-in RCD only protects what is plugged into it. See our guide on extension lead safety.
Stop using damaged leads and appliances: HSE says equipment should be checked by eye for early signs of damage. Take anything damaged out of use until it has been repaired or replaced.
Have your installation inspected periodically: an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) by a competent electrician can find faults before they cause harm. HSE says installations should be tested often enough that they are unlikely to become dangerous between tests.
Learn CPR: the Resuscitation Council UK says everyone can learn how to do CPR. A practical, hands-on first aid course is the way to learn and practise it.

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