Even experienced electricians who follow all safety precautions are at risk of being injured or killed due to a variety of job hazards. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration reports that 28 percent of workplace fatalities involve direct contact with wiring or other types of electrical components.

Statistics also reveal that over 13,000 electricians have been seriously injured enough to miss at least one day on the job. Additionally, the Electrical Safety Foundation International reports that between 2003 to 2007, 47% of workplace deaths involve electricians.

OSHA Standards

OSHA’s general electrical safety standards are covered in Title 29 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Part 1910.302 through 1910.308 — Design Safety Standards for Electrical Systems, and 1910.331 through 1910.335 — Electrical Safety-Related Work Practices Standards.

OSHA’s electrical standards are based on the National Fire Protection Association Standards NFPA 70,National Electric Code, and NFPA 70E, Electrical Safety Requirements for Employee Workplaces

(1,000 milliamperes = 1 amp; therefore, 15,000 milliamperes = 15 amp circuit)

  • Contact with Anything Below 1 milliampere cannot be felt.
  • Contact with 1 milliampere results in a Faint tingle.
  • Contact with 5 milliampere results in minor shock being felt; it will disturb but not cause pain.
  • Contact by women with 6 to 25 milliamperes in pain and a general loss of muscle control.
  • Contact by men with 9 to 30 milliamperes could result in freezing or inability to unclench or let-go.
  • Contact with 50 to 150 mlliamperes causes immense pain, respiratory arrest, possible death.
  • Contact with 1,000 – 4,300 milliamperes results in nerve damage likelihood of death.
  • Contact with 10,000 milliamperes burns, cardiac cessation, probable death.

Some of the most common injuries experienced by electricians include cardiac arrest, electric burns, loss of hearing or vision, nerve damage, neurological damage, and traumatic brain injuries The Occupational Safety and Health Administration recognizes several common ways in which electricians can be injured including the following:

  • Burn Injuries. Electricity can cause burns if electricians are directly exposed to electric current. Many burns are caused by arc flashes, which occur when high-amperage currents travel through the air. These burns can cause light skin damage in minor cases and substantial internal organ damage in serious cases.
  • Electric Shock. Electricians can be harmed by electrical shocks if they are exposed to too much electric current. These injuries can result in serious injuries and even death. Electrocution often results in fatalities, but can also result in cardiovascular, nervous system, or internal organ damage.
  • Fall Injuries. Electricians are at risk of falling from ladders or other great heights when performing wiring in high locations. These falls can result in serious injuries.
  • Overexertion or Repetitive Injuries. These injuries can be caused by application of continuous pressure to one’s body, bending or stooping while working, holding vibrating tools, positioning one’s body parts in an awkward position to perform work for extended periods of time, staying in the same position for extended periods of time, or various other daily activities in an electrician’s profession.

Some specific examples of accidents experienced by electricians include the following:

  • In 2017, an electrician in South Dakota was installing new equipment in a school when she experienced an electric shock and was severely injured.
  • In 2011, two Massachusetts electricians were working on an electrical panel and sustained serious burns during an arc fire. One of the workers received second-degree burns as a result of this accident.

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Our Brockton workers’ compensation attorneys are able to secure the following benefits for injured workers and their families when workers sustain injuries for accidents that occur within the scope of the workers employment: Partial disability benefits, temporary total disability benefits, permanent and total disability benefits, death benefits, scarring and disfigurement benefits.

If you or a loved one has been injured in an electrician accident, do not hesitate to contact a skilled Boston Work Injury Lawyer. The Law Offices of Gerald J. Noonan are a group of Massachusetts Work Accident Attorneys with over 35 years of legal experience. Our legal counsel has helped individuals who have been injured in a number of work site accidents including ladder fall accidents. Call our Brockton Worker’s Compensation Lawyer today for a free consultation.

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