It is a known fact that we are exposed to electricity every day and in almost every aspect of our work and home lives, as such power lines start to fade into background because we see them so often that they simply became unrecognized. Perhaps that is the main reason why we become complacent and don’t give them the attention they deserve. To evade any possible incident with power lines, we must pay particular attention to power lines and be diligent in every aspect of our work involving electricity.
Make no mistakes, power lines are dangerous and need to be viewed in the same way we think about many other dangerous instances in our construction industry such as Crush Injuries, Explosion, Fall, Fire, H2S or other hazards we know as a potential and silent killer.
Any incident is a bad incident, but any incident involving power lines is a very bad incident all together.
Incidents involving power lines can impact the company in many shapes and forms, include but not limited to:
- business losses for employers
- lawsuits and legal proceedings (civil and criminal)
- business losses for utility customers
- negative impacts on community relations
Individual Impacts include:
- reduced quality of life
- loss of ability to work
- relationship damage
- strain with family and others
- substance abuse
What are the effects of the electricity on the human body?
The passage of electricity through the body is known as “Shock” a shock that may not be enough to kill or injure can cause a worker to drop things or let go of the controls.
This can result in a domino effect of undesired events as we reference it in the safety world. Small amount of electrical current can cause involuntary muscle contractions and will prevent the victim from letting go of a conductor or calling for help.
Burns are the most common electrical related injury. Electricity can cause severe burns at points of entry and exit. Although entry and exits wounds may be small, internal injuries may be extensive. Electrical current passing through the heart can cause the heart to stop beating.
The damage occurring due to an electrical contact is determined by:
How much current is flowing through the body (measured in amperes and determined by voltage and resistance).
The length of time electricity path of current passes through the body.
Please stay safe and don’t be part of the statistics!
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