Within the last few weeks, several construction workers have suffered serious injury and death as a result of electrical shock. From cutting power lines that were meant to be de-energized to improper grounding, these individuals relied on information to do their job that was ultimately incorrect.
No matter what your trade on a construction site, at some point you are required to work with electricity. Even at a job site that follows OSHA standards to the letter, there is always room for an accident or mistake to happen, and the ultimate goal of any site supervisor should be to minimize these accidents to prevent injury.
Electrical workers are at the highest risk of injury related to shock, but other trades are always at risk of being injured. The most common causes of construction site electricity injuries are:
- Contact with electrical wiring and equipment, including circuit breakers, junction boxes, and transformers
- Contact with overhead power lines
- Machinery, appliances, power tools, and lights
One of the most common causes of injuries involved metal equipment, such as ladders or lifts, contacting live wires. The voltage is not necessarily what one would consider “high voltage,” either—many injuries are the result of contact with standard voltage you would find in your house. Even if every safety precaution is met or exceeded, the possibility for these accidents to occur is still present.
Just because your electrical shock injury was not the result of negligence does not mean that you are out of luck when it comes to compensation for your medical bills. If you have been hurt on the job, you could be entitled to compensation for your medical bills and more—contact our New Jersey construction accident firm to find out more today!
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