Most workplaces use electricity. From the electrical systems that power office buildings where employees use computers and other electronic devices to do their work to large manufacturing facilities that power massive machines with large amounts of electricity, electricity flows around most of us for much of our workday. Unfortunately, electricity can hurt and even kill workers who come into contact with it.
A man recently died from an electrical accident that happened while he was at work. The fifty-two-year-old man received an electrical injury to his hands, and he went into cardiac arrest shortly afterward. Some of the man’s co-workers tried to revive him, but neither they nor the first responders who reported to the accident scene were able to do so.
At the time of the accident, the man was working at a facility that produces electrical meters. He was a skilled and experienced worker who served his employer for over nine years before his death. Investigators from the Occupational Safety and Health Organization (OSHA) are investigating the fatal workplace accident.
There are three main types of workplace accidents that involve electricity. Employees can receive an electrical shock, they can be burned by electricity, or an electrical fire can injure them. Electrical shocks happen when an electrical current comes into contact with parts of a person’s body, such as a hand or a foot. Our bodies contain so much water that they conduct electricity very well. Electric shock injuries range from mild to severe and even fatal. A mild electric shock leaves the injured person with a tingly feeling in the area where the injury occurred. Moderate electric shocks can cause muscles to clench and tighten. A severe electrical shock sends so much electricity into the injured person’s body that their heart or lungs may fail.
Severe electrical shocks cause electrical burns. Some electrical burns are external and can be seen on the outside of the injured person’s body. Electricity can also burn people internally if it travels through bones and into deep tissues. When there is an electrical fire, people can get hurt or killed if they try to extinguish the fire with water, and the water comes into contact with the electricity.
When electricity flows throughout the workplace as it should, it is useful for many kinds of work. Unfortunately, there are many ways that electricity can move outside of the systems that are designed to contain it. For example, electrical wiring does not last forever, nor is it maintenance free. Old wires can become brittle and crack or break, allowing electricity to escape. Routine examination of the electrical systems in a workplace could prevent at least some of the electrical accidents that occur. Electrical outlets have undergone many safety improvements over time, and many older outlets do not have the safety devices like ground-fault control interrupters (GFCI’s) or three-pronged plugs that could prevent some electrical injuries or deaths.
Electrical connections and components on machinery must be examined regularly for wear and tear and repaired as needed. Employees who repair equipment must do so carefully, taking steps to avoid all contact with electricity. Safe work practices such as lockout/tag-out protocols can help prevent accidental contact with electricity during repairs and maintenance.
If your family lost a loved one or if you were injured in an electrical accident at work, call the Mississippi Workplace Accident Attorneys at Barrett Law PLLC today, at 1 (800) 707-9577.