At the law firm of Frasier, Frasier & Hickman, LLP, our mission is to fight for the rights of people like you

Avoiding electrocution on the job

On Behalf of | Sep 8, 2015 | Workplace Safety

When working around electricity on an Oklahoma job site, it is important to be careful as one mistake could result in serious injury to an individual or to others nearby. One way to prevent possible electrocution is to ensure that power is cut off to any wires that need to be cut, connected or otherwise manipulated. Even at low voltage, electricity has the power to end a person’s life if it passes through vital organs such as the heart.

Each year, about 175 people who work in electrical trades are killed on the job, with half of them coming on construction sites. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 7 percent of those deaths are to electricians. However, electrocution is not most likely cause of death for electricians on a construction site. Instead, an electrician’s biggest risk of death comes from a fall.This is because they will spend some or all of their time high in the air standing on ladders or working on roofs. In one instance, a man fell to his death after a skylight broke and he fell to the floor below.

Other common reasons why electricians are hurt on the job include flash burns as well as the stress of making the same motions hundreds or thousands of times each day. Repetitive hand motions may lead to carpal tunnel syndrome in electricians and other professionals.

A worker who is injured on the job due to a lack of workplace safety protocols may be eligible to file a workers’ compensation claim. Benefits may enable an injured worker to pay medical bills and other expenses while he or she is out of work. Many prospective claimants obtain the assistance of an attorney during the process.

Archives

RSS Feed