Electrocution Accidents in Philadelphia

Contact with overhead and buried power lines are the main hazard associated with electrocution accidents. Overhead power lines are not only a risk to crane operators and utility workers but also to workers on ladders and truck drivers operating movable truck beds that meet power lines when fully extended. Workers may not realize that the coverings for power lines are mainly for weather protection and that contact with a power line, covered or not, will most likely be fatal due to the high voltage carried. Bustleton electrocution accidents that are not fatal can result in the worker being thrown from heights and sustaining head, back, or spinal cord injuries, along with burns from electrical shock.

Contact with energized sources is another cause of electrocution accidents, including live parts, damaged or bare wires, and defective equipment and tools. When a worker meets both live wires of an electrical circuit, a metal part that has become energized by contact with an electrical conductor, or one wire of an energized circuit and the ground, then the body becomes part of that electric circuit resulting in an electrical shock. The length of exposure, amount of current, and whether the skin was wet or dry, are some of the factors determining the severity and effects of the electrical shock. Wet conditions and wet skin allow the electricity to flow more easily, allowing the worker to experience anything from faint tingling to cardiac arrest and severe burns. Burns from electricity are some of the most severe because they cause much more damage to the tissues underneath the skin.

Extension cords and other flexible cords are also an electrical hazard when used improperly. They are used widely for power tools and are more susceptible to damage than fixed wiring because they are exposed, flexible, and unsecured. Normal wear and tear can expose wires creating the risk for shocks, burns, and fire. Cords can be damaged by the edges of a window or door, from being fastened or stapled, or abraded by other materials. A cord connector laying on wet surfaces can leak electric current, creating a danger to anyone who picks it up.