At the law offices of Attorney Mark Rufo, PC, in New Hampshire, we represent numerous construction workers who received serious injuries in a work-related accident. We also represent grieving families whose loved one died as the result of an on-the-job injury. Consequently, we have dedicated ourselves to obtaining the compensation that these people deserve.
Construction Connect reports that electrocutions rank number two on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s “Fatal Four” list of reasons why construction workers die on the job. The complete list shows, in order of frequency, that construction deaths rank as follows:
- Falls
- Electrocutions
- Struck-by-object accidents
- Caught-in-between-object accidents
Causes of electrocutions
No one needs to tell you that, as a construction worker, power tools and other electrical equipment surround you on a daily basis. What you may not have realized, however, is that even 120-volt electrical currents that carry between 15-20 amperes of electricity contain far more electricity than the 50-100 milliamperes it takes to kill you.
Obviously, you face a serious risk of electrocution from the following:
- Ungrounded or insufficiently grounded electrical wires
- Frayed or otherwise damaged electrical cords
- Faulty electrical tools and equipment
- Ladders, lifts, cranes, etc. coming into contact with overhead electrical wires
- Construction sites that have insufficient lighting
Electrocution statistics
Unfortunately, 61% of all workplace-related electrocution deaths occur to construction workers like you. Of these, males age 35-44 account for 28.3%. Even if you are not an actual electrical worker, who account for 19% of construction electrocutions, should your job be that of a laborer, workers like you account for 25% of these electrocutions. Your greatest risk of electrocution comes from coming into contact with a power line, transformer or converter, which type of accident accounts for 75% of all fatal construction electrocutions.