The facts about electrical shock

It is estimated that more than 30,000 non-fatal electrical shock accidents occur each year. The National Safety Council estimates that between 600 and 1,000 people die each year from electrocution. Of those killed with voltages less than 600V, nearly half were working on “exposed” energized circuits at the time the fatal injury occurred.

Electrocution continues to rank as the fourth highest cause of industrial fatalities (behind traffic, violence/homicide and construction incidents).

Most personnel are aware that there is a danger of electrical shock, even electrocution. It’s the one electrical hazard around which most electrical safety standards have been built. However, few people really understand just how little current is required to cause injury, even death. Actually, the current drawn by a 7.5 watt, 120 volt lamp, passing across the chest, from hand-to-hand or hand-to-foot, is enough to cause death by electrocution.

Think of electrical shock injuries as icebergs, where most of the injury is unseen, below the surface. Entrance and exit wounds are usually coagulated areas and might have some charring, or these areas might be missing, having "exploded" away from the body due to the level of energy present. The smaller the area of contact, the greater the heat produced. For a given current, damage in the limbs might be the greatest, due to the higher current flux per unit of cross-sectional area.

Within the body, the current can burn internal body parts in its path. This type of injury might be difficult to diagnose, as the only initial signs of injury are the entry and exit wounds. Damage to the internal tissues, while not apparent immediately, might cause delayed internal tissue swelling and irritation. Prompt medical attention can minimize possible loss of blood circulation and the potential for amputation of the affected extremity, and can prevent death.

All electrocutions are preventable. A significant part of the OSHA standard is dedicated to electrical safety. It would be an oversimplification to state that everyone should comply with the standards. However, OSHA standard compliance is considered a minimum requirement and seen as a very good place to start for improving the safety of the workplace.

Cooper Bussman, a division of Cooper Industries, manufactures and markets circuit protection products for the electrical, electronic and automotive industries, domestically and internationally. Headquartered in St. Louis, Bussman has manufacturing facilities in three domestic and six international locations and approximately 3,000 team members worldwide. Visit www.bussmann.com. 

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