Worker Electrocuted in Accident | O'Keeffe O'Brien Lyson Attorneys

Worker Electrocuted in Accident

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Authorities are currently in the process of investigating how an accident occurred that resulted in a worker being killed. At the time the accident occurred, the worker was repairing a high voltage electrical cord for potato unloading equipment when the man was electrocuted.

How Electrocution Accidents Occur

There are numerous ways in which electrocution accidents tend to occur. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration reports that some of the most common types of electrocution accidents include:

  • Contact with Power Lines: Equipment, poles, or other types of objects that contact power lines that carry voltage can seriously injure workers.
  • Improperly Used Extension Cords: Extension cords are helpful in completing construction work. If these cords are overloaded, serious accidents can occur. When extension cords are not properly used, workers can be seriously hurt and even killed.
  • Inadequate Warnings: Workers rely on a wide variety of equipment when repairing electrical lines. When hidden defects cause a shortage or any other type of failure, workers can be seriously injured.
  • Lack of Ground Fault Protection: Ground fault is used to create a path of minimal resistance so that stray currents will be absorbed by the ground rather than the surface or a worker. If grounding is insufficient, a worker can be seriously injured.

What Happens When a Person is Electrocuted?

Electrical current is measured in units called milliamperes (mA). A construction worker who makes contact with 1 mA will likely only feel a small tingling sensation. Between 6 mA to 16 mA, a worker has the ability to remove themselves from the electrical source. At greater than 17 mA, a person has difficulty letting go, which can result in serious damage to the worker’s body.

When a worker is exposed to an electrical current, the path of electricity travels through the body, which means that it often enters at the source and finds an exit. Various factors determine the damage that occurs including the voltage and the length of time that the current passes through the person’s body. There can be damage done to various systems in a person’s body which include:

  • Cardiovascular System: Irregular heartbeat or lack of a heartbeat is one of the most common reasons why workers die from electrocution. As a result, many emergency workers focus on making sure that a person’s heart is revived immediately after an electrocution accident occurs.
  • Central Nervous System Damage: Electricity that passes through a person’s body can cause substantial damage to that person’s brain and nervous system. Current that passes through the brain can cause serious injuries including respiratory failure. Spinal injuries are also common.
  • Musculoskeletal Injuries: Large amounts of damage can be done to a person’s muscles and organs due to an electrocution because in many cases, a person’s body falls or is thrown from the electricity source. 

Speak with a Personal Injury Attorney.

If you or someone you know was electrocuted while on the job, it can be helpful to obtain the assistance of a skilled personal injury attorney. Contact attorney Tim O’Keeffe, Tatum O’Brien or Sara Monson of O’Keeffe O’Brien Lyson Attorneys today by calling 877 235 8002.