Electricians often suffer injuries from falls, electrical burns, exposure to toxic materials, and are even at greater risk when working in small, tight spaces and under different outdoor conditions. If you're not trained, working with electricity can be dangerous. Around 28 electricians die from electrocution on the job every year, making it a hazardous job. Although electricians are well trained, they don't receive dangerous money.
Yes, electricians can buy life insurance at the same price as other people. Check recent issues to find updated content. According to the Electronic Library for Occupational Safety and Health in Construction (ElCOSH), exposure to electricity remains one of the leading causes of death among construction workers. Among electricians, the most serious concern is working with or near current cables without proper safety procedures.
Electrocutions kill an average of 143 construction workers each year. Data from 1992 to 2003 indicate that electrical workers suffered the highest number of electrocutions per year (586 or 34 percent of the total deaths caused by electrocution), followed by construction workers, carpenters, supervisors of non-electrical workers and roofers. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Washington, DC. In addition, statistics from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) in Atlanta show that electrocution is the third leading cause of death on the job among workers aged 16 and 17, accounting for 12 percent of all workplace deaths.
In addition, data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) indicate that, between 1992 and 2001, private industry experienced 2,726 non-fatal electrical discharges caused by days off work per year. According to OSHA, the incidence of the most common injuries increases as the scope of work performed by the typical electrical contractor and the age of the workforce increases.
According to Tom Andrzejewski, CSP, director of safety at Hunt Electric Corp., they are also common when working in medium to high voltage installations.
. Other common injuries include cuts, scratches, slips, and knee injuries.Of repetitive motion injuries or musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), strains and sprains are often the most common. However, Andrzejewski said that shoulder injuries in the industry are a problem because of the repetitive aerial activities inherent to electrical installations. Another cause of injury is when management and field staff are unwilling to accept safety as a corporate and personal value and to commit to the development and implementation of workplace safety practices. Many times, according to Marquardt, injuries occur because workers believe they are going to help the company by taking shortcuts in the name of efficiency, such as not using safety equipment or misusing ladders or other equipment.
The same products and tools that electricians use to do their jobs often cause common cuts and finger injuries. As products become more affordable, some of them lose some of their quality. Following the procedures established by ElCOSH would prevent, according to the organization, most work-related electrocutions. ELCOSH procedures include complying with OSHA electrical safety regulations, training employees on electrical safety, having the utility company de-energize or insulate overhead power lines, and only allowing electrical circuits or parts to work with current in accordance with a permit system with specific procedures.
According to Marty Rouse, director of corporate security at Rosedin Electric Inc. OSHA also recommends addressing workplace hazards early to prevent injuries. Some of the simplest and easiest to implement injury prevention methods are also the most obvious. Gloves, helmets, and eye protectors come in many different options today, and the contractor can equip the electrician with the right equipment that is comfortable and appropriate for each person.
Proper use of safety goggles can virtually eliminate these injuries, Andrzejewski said. Finally, continuous training on laws, regulations and safety codes, together with a proactive safety policy and simple warm-up exercises before starting work, help prevent injuries and reduce lost work days. The basic elements of a good safety plan include continuous training in hazard identification and mitigation techniques, as well as management's commitment to safety with a demonstration of their support for the plan. Rouse agrees that even starting the development of a security plan requires a commitment from top management to providing a safe environment.
OSHA has a variety of services and programs to help electrical contractors define and identify risks and hazards and develop an effective safety program. Web-based electronic tools help contractors perform health and safety checks and develop programs that inculcate a culture of safety, reducing accidents and improving outcomes. The software helps contractors assess the impact of occupational injuries and illnesses, and the publications provide voluntary guidelines for managing safety and health programs. In addition, the OSHA Voluntary Consultation Program offers a comprehensive safety and health consultation that provides detailed information about a company's workplace safety program and the possible solutions available to eliminate or control any serious hazards.
Employers who meet specific program requirements may be exempt from general inspections scheduled by OSHA for one year. However, electrical incidents are rare, as trained and experienced electricians understand the dangers of working in this area and take the necessary precautions. Electricians often work at height on stairs and rungs, and this is the leading cause of injuries. While today, electricians exposed to asbestos that can be disturbed wear respirators, those who were exposed to asbestos in the past needed routine checkups to make sure their lungs were clean.
A look at federal electricians' safety reports tells the story, with report after report about the sudden deaths of electricians, often between the ages of 20 and 30, who were electrocuted while trying to repair cables, appliances, light fixtures, air conditioning units and underground power lines. However, the skilled electrician is well trained and mitigates electrical shocks as best as possible. Federal reports indicate that a young electrician's assistant, for example, died recently when he stepped on a skylight that broke and caused him to fall to the ground below. However, electricians have made progress in reducing some of the deadliest environmental hazards, such as exposure to asbestos, which causes cancer.
The main danger, besides falling off a ladder, is being electrocuted and dying, this is rare, but electricians are electrocuted when working with the power grid. There is no substitute for knowledge and experience when working with electricity, so understand that the electrician who works in your home has taken 4 years to qualify and then worked another 2 years to be recognized as a competent person and to be accredited. Nearly half of the approximately 175 deaths that occur each year in the electricity sector occur in construction, and electricians account for about 7 percent of the total deaths in the construction sector, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. If you're an electrician, consider partnering only with unions, companies, and contractors that make worker safety a priority.
Sevcik says he knows about at least one or two electricians a year who have surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome, a clamping of the median nerve in the wrist. There is also a cultural attitude among some electricians that they are expected to work on energized equipment because that is the nature of the job and the customer needs to maintain production and avoid downtime. All electricians, whether they work in industry, in commercial companies or in residential environments, are constantly exposed to the danger of electricity. Electricians are well trained and are not known for their arrogant approach to work, so even though electricians are exposed to the possibility of electric shock on a daily basis, they rarely receive an electrical shock that causes injury.
Meanwhile, electricians who live to count their close encounters with electricity generally promise to be more careful in the future. .
