When you make your living working on a California construction site, you face numerous job-related hazards. Some of these risks involve working around electricity, and three types of electrical injuries occur more often than others.
Per Construction Executive, electrical injuries are so common in the construction industry that, in 2016, construction workers experienced more than half of all electrical injuries suffered nationwide. The most common types of electrical injuries in construction are as follows.
Electrocution
Electrocution is the most common electrical injury suffered by individuals in your line of work. Electrocution occurs when you or someone else experiences an electric shock or burn as the result of coming in contact with electrical wires or high-voltage equipment.
Severe burns
Severe burns are the second-most-common cause of electrical injury in construction. They are often the result of gases exploding after electrical equipment somehow ignites them.
Injuries from falls or contact with moving equipment
When you suffer a low-voltage electrical shock, it may impact your balance and cause you to fall. If you are working on scaffolding to access power lines, a fall may prove serious or even fatal. After an electric shock, you may also struggle to maintain control over construction equipment, which may also cause injuries.
There is only so much you might do to protect yourself when others you work with or for exercise negligence on the job site. However, you may be able to avoid some construction site electrical injuries by slowing down and not prioritizing efficiency over safety.
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