The construction industry ranks among the most dangerous industry, according to previous studies and multiple statistical indicators. The industry ranks among one of the main causes of fatalities and injuries worldwide. According to the “Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA),” electrocution ranks fourth in the top 10 accidents leading to construction fatalities (Zhao et al., 2014). Losses, as a result of electrical accidents, such as electrical shocks, electrical burns, and arc blasts, causes both physical and societal trauma. Besides, electrocution rates in the construction industry are relatively higher compared to the industry average (Zhao et al., 2014). It is, therefore, vital to explore the primary causes of electrocution and analyze the existing data about electrocution to facilitate the effective adoption of proven corrective measures to eradicate this construction hazard.
Common Causative Factors
The primary causative factors that lead to electrocution include human error, unsafe working environment, lack of a written safety policies, and lack of safety training programs. According to Zhao et al. (2014), human error is a possible origin of electrical accidents. About 52.9% of deaths due to electrocution are as a result of active electric lines, with 89.3% of such fatalities being caused by improper operation or lack of adequate hazard awareness (Zhao et al., 2014). Based on the aforementioned data, power lines are the primary cause of electrocution in the United States. However, the contact between victims and these power lines are as a result of human errors. Besides, in other instances, a significant part of deaths that results from electrocution in the United States construction industry is as a result of actions by a third party, with the victim not being at any fault.
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Although human errors might be considered to be the direct cause of electrocution, such accidents are partly a result of a lack of written safety policy or lack of safety training programs. According to OSHA standards, employers are expected to educate and train their employees on matters relating to safety and health in the workplace. However, about 50% of employers in the United States do not have a written safety policy or provide education or safety training programs (Zhao et al., 2014). The lack of safety policy and training program exposes construction workers to electrical injuries that might result in fatalities.
Furthermore, despite the effort to increase safety at work, electrical injuries occur due to an unsafe working environment. Electrical appliances, particularly drills and metal ladders that come in contact with power lines, tend to cause most electrical injuries. Ideally, a construction site is expected to have a ground-fault circuit interrupter protection to reduce the frequency of such injuries (Corbett, 2007). Nonetheless, most construction sites fail to adhere to such requirements and thus exposing their workers to electrical injuries.
Existing Data
Current data ranks construction site accidents as one of the major causes of fatalities. Compared to other industries, the 60,000 annual deaths in construction sites account for 18.7% of work-related deaths ( Mihić , 2020). In the U.S. construction industry, electrocution forms part of the fatal four causes of fatalities. Despite the effort to eradicate electrical injuries in the workplace, up to 52,000 hospitalizations occur annually as a result of electrical accidents (Corbett, 2007). In 2011, 69 out of the 738 construction fatalities were linked to electrocution, representing 9.3% of the total deaths. Between 2006 and 2014, the construction industry accounted for at least 39.7% of electrical deaths in the United States; 40 percent of electrocutions occurred in a construction site (Zhao et al., 2014). The rates of electrocutions is higher in the construction than in other industries, with its workers encountering the highest risk from electrical injuries within a working environment. Also, electrical injuries and fatalities have huge financial repercussions in the construction industry. The average losses as a result of electrocution are approximately $ 948,844 and $ 86,829 per fatal case and non-fatal case, respectively (Zhao et al., 2014). As evident from the above data, electrical injuries and fatalities are serious problems in the construction industry.
Proven Corrective Measures
“ The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)” recommends various measures to help reduces instances of electrocution in construction sites. First, NIOSH recommends the incorporation of safety training, particularly a periodic specialized electrical safety training program to promote electrical hazard awareness and thus the avoidance of unsafe conditions at work (Zhao et al., 2014). Also, equipping employees with non-conductive personal protective equipment can help reduces the instances of electrocution. Adherence to safety procedures as per the available federal and state requirements and regulations, particularly proper grounding and minimum clearance, among others, can help eliminate electrical injuries or reduces the extent of these injuries (Zhao et al., 2014). Taking an electrical hazard survey before the commencement of activities in a construction site can also help identify possible electrical dangers and thus facilitating effective interventions. Finally, the incorporation of electrical safety procedures along with preventions during the construction planning stages can also help in reducing electrical injuries and fatalities.
In conclusion, electrocution is one of the four main causes of fatalities in the construction industries. According to OSHA, electrical injuries rank fourth in the top ten accident events in the construction industry. The primary causes of electrical injuries in construction sites include human errors, the lack of a written safety policy, lack of safety training programs, and unsafe working conditions. According to existing data, electrocution is a huge hazard in the construction site, which necessitates the need to adopt preventive measures. Corrective measures, such as safety training, adherence to safety regulations, equipping employees with protective equipment, and the incorporation of electrical safety procedures during the construction planning stage, can help reduce electrocution rates in the construction industry.
References
Corbett, S. W. (2007). Electrocution at a construction site: a case report. EMS Magazine , 36 (12), 190.
Mihić, M. (2020). Classification of construction hazards for a universal hazard identification methodology. Journal of Civil Engineering and Management , 26 (2), 147-159.
Zhao, D., Thabet, W., McCoy, A., & Kleiner, B. (2014). Electrical deaths in the US construction: An analysis of fatality investigations. International journal of injury control and safety promotion , 21 (3), 278-288.
