Electrocution Injury Lawyer Hollywood FL
Electrocution accidents can be fatal, but are often preventable if fundamental action is taken, prioritizing worker’s lives. Electrocution accidents typically happen during construction work. An injury can be a result of the body becoming part of an electric circuit, either when an individual comes in contact with both wires of an electrical circuit, one wire of an energized circuit and the ground, or a metallic part that has become energized by contact with an electrical conductor.
What are the Causes of Electrocution Accidents?
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the construction’s “fatal four” include:
- Falls – 381/971 of construction deaths in 2017
- Struck by object – 80/971
- Electrocution – 71/971
- Crushed – 50/971
How to Prevent Electrocution Accidents:
Eliminating the fatal four involves more proper training in equipment, more safety inspections, and more supervision. When construction workers are six feet off the ground, they must utilize one of the safety precautions in the Personal Fall Arrest (PFA) system. According to the National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, in 2017, fatal electrocution accidents accounted for 1.4 per 100,000 labor workers.
There are many precautionary steps that must be followed when dealing with electricity, cords, etc. A few of these precautions include:
- Before plugging in any device, inspect for frays/tears/corrosion in the cord
- Watch for overhead power lines while performing electrical work
- When removing a plug from an outlet, pull from the plug, not the cord
- Make sure your hands are dry before handling any electrical equipment
Always wear personal protective equipment (PPE), such as safety goggles, steel-toe boots, hardhats, and gloves. Utilizing PPE reduces your risk of injury greatly, and is important to keep in mind as your safety depends on the precautions you take to prepare yourself in construction work. From 2017-2018, the construction industry saw a staggering 18% increase in fatal electrocution accidents. There was, however, a 29% decrease in electrocution injuries.
Many of these injuries come from a lack of Lock Out Tag Out (LOTO) safety precautions. LOTO is used in industry and research settings to ensure that dangerous machines are properly shut off and not able to be started up again prior to the completion of maintenance or repair work. With the proper LOTO guidelines as provided by OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration), workers will be less at risk for releasing hazardous energy resulting in injury or death.
Compensation after Electrocution Accident
Construction work builds our community, but unfortunately, construction work accounts for many electrocution accidents. We at Scher and Scher applaud the hard labor of construction workers who spend their days contributing to their community, but we also recognize the traumatic accidents which come from construction work. We are committed and dedicated to representing countless cases in order to bring awareness and justice to those who have been injured by an electrocution accident.
After sustaining a potentially fatal or traumatic electrocution accident, you may feel at a loss. Not only can wages be lost, but mental anguish may follow with your injuries. At Scher and Scher Law Group – Electrocution Injury Lawyer Hollywood FL, we want to help those who help our community, and we stand by construction workers, fighting for their rights to compensation.
It may be difficult for those who have fallen victim to electrocution injury to reach out and ask for help. Our long-standing track record of successful cases in the area of personal injury and specifically for electrocution accidents has proven that we are ready, willing, and passionately driven to fight for your right to compensation. With electrocution accidents accounting for 71/971 (7%) of construction accidents, we at Scher and Scher know the importance of keeping workers safe via OSHA guidelines, but also know you have a right to compensation. Luckily, OSHA guidelines and safety precautions are in place to help construction workers who have odds against them. If you have been injured in an electrocution accident contact Electrocution Injury Lawyer Hollywood FL Scher and Scher for legal help.