They're both perfectly safe when installed properly.
The only difference between low and high voltage is how fast it kills you. Technically it's the current that'll do you in, but you can't have one without the other. Besides who would pay attention to a sign that said, "HIGH CURRENT!"
Both 12v and 120v are considered low voltage. It's all relative. --I'm going edit this a bit-- In my field both of these are considered low voltage. In the housing industry, I do believe only the 12volts is low voltage. Like I said, it's all relative. ---Done with my editing---
As an example, at work, I sometimes have to replace these tiny inverters that are used to light up these small fluorescent bulbs used to illuminate a panel. The output of these inverters is on the order of 10,000 volts, but the current is so low it doesn't do anything but 'gitchya' if ya bump into it, which I quite frequently do. I'll also tape a wire coming from it to my lab's doorknob. Teaches people real quick that I really don't want to be disturbed.
I also use two GPU's for testing the electronic controls of such, on a daily basis. The first one outputs 28.5 volts DC. There's no 'gitchya' on this thing, no "barely a tingle". Touch it, you're dead. It's output can go to over 2000 amps before the overload circuit shuts it down.
The other test stand is a 90 KVA unit which ouputs 115 volts AC at 400 hz. I usually get a blank look when I tell people it's 400 hz, so I tell 'em it's so it will kill you 7 times faster than a wall outlet. Anyway... This thing can put out over 200 amps. Again, touch it you're dead.
Well... Maybe the touch it you're dead scenerio is a little harsh. More like "touch it you're dead, or if you're lucky, you'll wish you were dead." I also don't frequently bump into the output of these units, and don't hook those up to doorknobs. I also have a cool red smash button that'll shut down the machinery I use when people walk too close to me while I'm running them. Then I get to yell at em!
While doing a klystron adjustment on a radar, back in the day, my friend got hit with 15000 volts at *-=classified=-* amps. I hit him in the head with the 10 pound tech manual I had in my hand to get him off, as his hand muscles clamped down tight and he couldn't move. It was quicker than running around to the otherside and killing the power... He lived, only because the current went in his right hand, and out the bottom of his right foot, missing his heart. He had a 2 inch crater in the bottom of his foot. (and a welt on his head) After much paperwork, and much investigation, it was found there was a microscopic crack in the insulation of the wiring causing a world-wide recall... ya think?
Wow, I am so far off topic now. :blah:
Ummm... ya, 12v light, 120v light, they're both safe when installed properly.
