electric shock - not a medical advice question

Factual Questions
1

Hi Folks

Just need to say right up the front this is not a request for medical advice post - I have been to the doctor, been examined, been cleared and been told my morbid obesity and decadent lifestyle are a far greater risk to me than the events which I am about to relate.

So, anyway, I got a heck of an electric shock this morning. Well, by “heck of a” I mean hurt like a motherfucker electric shock. How it happened was thus:

Our lawn mower is a quirky beast and in order for it to stop, I need to shut the throttle right off an pull the cap off the spark plug. I have done this hundreds of times, without so much as a tingle. Today, though, I got a shock - from the ring finger of my right hand and “exiting” the ring finger of my left. I was unable to straighten either finger out for some hours afterwards and got a large burn on my right finger (I am sure I didn’t touch the hot mower engine) plus I had pins and needles and cramps for a few hours after as well.

My question is: how big a shock could I have got from a small domestic lawn mower’s (and it is a small mower) spark plug? And just how dangerous, on a scale of 0-5 was it?

*(5 being "You diced with death you romantic fool/ you possibly absorbed so much electricity that you may develop superpowers) and 0 zero being "you disgrace this board with your unmanly presence you wussy wuss, drink some concrete and harden up)

2

It is a high voltage shock, but low amperage. Bin zapped that way many times no long term damage. A tingling and a little soreness for about an hour that is all.

Two normal forms of dammage. High amps over time can cause burns. Or small amps through the heart can stop it. Arm to arm passes through the upper chest above the heart.

3

Lawnmowers use a magneto to generate the voltage to provide the spark at the spark plug. I took small engine repair in high school, we measured the voltage of various magnetos and got 800 to 20,000 volts. That is enough to cause serious health issues if you were to remain in contact with the plug wire for more thnan a few moments. May I suggest an alternate and much safer method of shutting off your lawnmower engine? Instead of pulling the spark plug wire, just ground the spark plug to ground, a screwdriver with a plastic handle will work fine.