Electrical-related accidents aren't the most frequent workplace injury, but they do tend to be more severe--leading to larger workers' compensation claims and workplace deaths.
According to Electrical Safety Foundation International, more than 300,000 workers have been injured in electrical-related accidents in the workplace over the past decade. Accidents include electrocution, shock, and arch flash and blast. Arc flash occurs when an electrical current passes through air between ungrounded conductors, or ungrounded and grounded conductors. Arc flash can reach temperatures of 35,000 degrees and are powerful enough to kill or cause severe burns to individuals as far as 10 feet away. Workers' comp costs for arc flash accidents can reach millions of dollars.
Often protecting workers from electrical-related accidents can be as simple as turning off electrical installations and equipment before beginning work, and using personal protective equipment when power cannot be shut off.
Recommended For You
Want to continue reading?
Become a Free PropertyCasualty360 Digital Reader
Your access to unlimited PropertyCasualty360 content isn’t changing.
Once you are an ALM digital member, you’ll receive:
- Breaking insurance news and analysis, on-site and via our newsletters and custom alerts
- Weekly Insurance Speak podcast featuring exclusive interviews with industry leaders
- Educational webcasts, white papers, and ebooks from industry thought leaders
- Critical converage of the employee benefits and financial advisory markets on our other ALM sites, BenefitsPRO and ThinkAdvisor
Already have an account? Sign In Now
© 2025 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to asset-and-logo-licensing@alm.com. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.