Electric Equipment Guarding and Workspaces Stats and Facts

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.