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.