In the early years of the chair a voltage between 1,700 and 2,400 volts at 7.5 amps was sent through the body for about 10 seconds followed by a voltage of 240 volts at 1.5 amps for between 20 and 30 seconds. In a lot of cases the person being executed would be cooked and charred past recognition. Eye witnesses have attested to hearing a loud and sustained sound like bacon frying, and the sickly sweet smell of burning flesh. The body is to hot to touch after the execution has been completed. The purpose of this high voltage and amperage was to insure that the heart and respiratory system shut down completely and the lower voltage and time was to ensure that the person’s heart didn’t start back.
This has nothing at all to do with a shock that someone working on their homes electrical system would receive. The chair was intended to humanely execute a criminal not to maim or kill someone trying to save a couple of dollars doing something for their self. The comparison between the two would be like comparing apples to oranges.
For more information as to the dangers arising from working on a live electrical circuit visit this site.
http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/con...cidents/eleccurrent.html#death is most likely