What is an Electrocution Hazard?
Introduction
Electricity is essential to modern life, both at home and on the job.
4 Causes of Worker Deaths
Some employees - engineers, electricians, electronic technicians, and power line workers, among them - work with electricity directly. Electrocution results when a person is exposed to a lethal amount of electrical energy.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), there were more electrical fatalities in construction than any other industrial sector. A total of 86 electrical fatalities in construction occurred in 2018.
The Standards
OSHA also has electrical safety standards for:
- General Industry - in 29 CFR 1910, Subpart S.
- Construction - in 29 CFR 1926, Subpart K.
- Marine terminals - in 29 CFR 1917, and longshoring, in 29 CFR 1918 reference the general industry electrical standards in Subpart S of Part 1910.
- Shipyard standards - 29 CFR 1915.181 covers limited electrical safety work practices.
- Two workers were moving an aluminum ladder. The ladder came in contact with the overhead power lines and electrocuted one of the workers.
- When a worker raised the mast on his water well drilling truck, it came into contact with high voltage overhead lines and electrocuted him.
When the worker raised the ladder, it contacted a high power line.
- The boom of a rotary drilling truck contacted an overhead power line and electrocuted the worker. The victim and another worker had just finished drilling a water well on a residential property. The victim moved the truck away from the well. The victim was standing at the controls, lowering the boom and was thrown several feet away from the truck.
- A worker fell to the concrete floor while working from an 8' fiberglass step ladder. He was fatally injured and electrocuted. The worker was changing an energized ballast on a two bulb fluorescent light fixture, located approximately 11' 6" off the ground.
- A worker was electrocuted while connecting a replacement electrical service box to the electrical service drop to the building.
Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.
1-1. Electrocution results when a person is exposed to _____.
You forgot to answer the question!