Philadelphia Electrician Workers' Compensation Lawyers

Dealing with electricity every day comes with significant risk because mistakes can be instantly lethal. Non-lethal electrical work accidents can also inflict serious injury. Electricians working on power supply lines may have to scale the power poles when a lift bucket is not available. The job may also require the trimming of trees to free power lines. Some of the injuries common to those working as electricians in Bustleton include:

• Electrical Burns: Electrical burns result from direct contact with an electrical current and are different from burns suffered from heat (thermal burns). The electricity travels through tissue under the skin-damaging use lockout/Tagout procedures all the layers underneath, sometimes severely. It is easy to underestimate the damage from an electrical burn and complication risks during recovery are much higher than for other types of burns
• Thermal Burns: Electricians can also experience thermal burns when electricity travels through the air, called an arc flash or blast. Arc flashes can reach temperatures as high as 36,000 degrees Fahrenheit causing instant and severe thermal burns.
• Fall Injuries: Electricians often work at heights, whether they are outdoors working on power lines, or indoors on ladders installing electrical wiring. A fall can be a primary cause of injury when a worker falls from their location, or secondary if contact with electrical current throws them from the location and they fall and sustain injuries.
• Electrical Shock Injuries: According to OSHA, many of the electrical injuries suffered by electricians are to the hands where workers come into contact with electrical wiring or equipment. Severe electrical shock can also affect the brain, cause strain to the heart and other internal organs.
• Electrical Shock Fatalities: Exposure to electrical current for too long can be fatal. Currents greater than 75mA can cause the heart to lose function within a few minutes unless a defibrillator is used to resuscitate the victim. For reference, a small power drill uses 30 times that amount of current.
• Electrocution: Some electrical accidents involve currents so strong that a worker may be killed instantly.
• Non-electrical Injuries: Non-electrical injuries common to electricians include sprains and strains and other overexertion injuries and repetitive motion injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome and other musculoskeletal disorders. These types of injuries can affect the back, knees, hands, and fingers making it difficult to continue working or even performing normal daily tasks.