Work Accidents Involving Electricity

Lawyers specialising in workplace accidents have welcomed a report that highlights areas of risk when working with electricity with future improvements in mind.

The research, carried out by RIDDOR, provides an insight into where future risk controls may best be targeted following a pan-industry study into electricity-related accidents.

The largest number of electricity-related accidents is reported in the electrical installation and construction industries. Electrical fitters have been involved in significantly more electricity-related accidents than other occupations.

David Urpeth, a lawyer from law firm Irwin Mitchell said: “This report highlights the dangers faced by those working within the electrical industry.

“My experience has shown that those suffering a work accident involving electricity often suffer serious and sadly sometimes fatal injuries.  As such, I would urge employers to take extra measures to provide workers with a safe place in the safe system of work.”

Handling/sprains and trips are reported most frequently. Low falls, being struck by falling objects and high falls also feature highly. Accidents involving contact with electricity are the fourth most frequently reported accident kind.

Contact with electricity is the most significant source of fatal injury accidents in this data set; being involved in more fatal injury accidents than the other accident kinds combined. These contact accidents involved a number of agents including plant, domestic appliances and underground cables.