FACTS

1. An electrical shock of 50-150 milli-amperes for one second can cause a worker’s death. Electrical shock can also cause burns and internal injuries to workers.

2. The common types of injuries observed in cases of electric shock are:

• Damaged Tissues
• Destruction of internal organs
• Blood loss
• Damaged Nerve, muscle, and tendon
• Fractures
• Loss of limbs

3. Electrical accidents have many potential causes. Some common causes of electrical accidents include:

• Missing ground-fault protection.
• Misuse of extension cords.
• Improper use of electrical equipment.
• Improperly installed equipment.
• Negligence when using electrical equipment around water.
• Lack of proper safety training.
• Lack of proper equipment training.
• Unsafe work practices.

STATS

• About 4,000 people are electrocuted in the workplace each year. Construction and similar industries account for most of these accidents.
• According to the CDC’s NIOSH, the construction industry comprises approximately 8% of the U.S. workforce, yet it accounts for 44% of job-related fatalities. Consider the statistics:
  • Electrical hazards cause more than 300 deaths and 4,000 injuries each year in the U.S. workforce.
  • Electrocution is the sixth cause of workplace deaths in America.
  • Construction trades, and installation/maintenance/repair professionals are the top two groups suffering the most fatal electrocution work-related accidents.
  • It’s estimated that 62 agricultural workers/yr. die from electrocution in the U.S., with overhead power lines being the most common source.
  • Electrocutions kill an average of 143 construction workers each year.
  • Electrical workers suffered the highest number of electrocutions per year (586 or 34 % of the total deaths caused by electrocution), followed by site laborers, carpenters, supervisors of nonelectrical workers, and roofers.
• (OSHA), estimates there are approximately 350 electrical-related fatalities a year, which roughly equals one fatality per day. Statistics from (NIOSH), show electrocution is the third-leading cause of death at work among 16 and 17-year-old workers, accounting for 12 % of all workplace deaths.