Sure, and isn't this what the metal band that goes around them for?
Well, I'm sure its dangerous to play with the mains, or nuclear radiation, etc... but you gotta start somewhere. I think as long as you gotta enough common sense and some luck then it should be ok. I'd rather play around and take a 0.1% chance that it might kill me and learn something useful in the process than be afraid to do anything(which I've always been when playing with "high" voltage.. I've always only been comfortable with small batteries... now I'm just starting to get used to it since I have variac which lets me work my way up.).
Jon