Electricity is an essential part of everyday life. If you stop for a moment and consider how many different devices you use during a day that rely on electricity, you could quickly lose count. From checking your phone for texts, emails or voice messages, to making your coffee and a slice of toast, to taking “the L” to work or waiting at a stop light when driving to the store, electricity makes the modern world possible.
However, electricity, for all of the wonders it brings us, remains a dangerous force. Typically, we are shielded and insulated from its deadly potential, but for many workers, coming in contact with live electrical sources is a constant threat.
One worker in a local Morton Grove manufacturing plant found out just how dangerous it is after an accident where he suffered an electrical shock. According to the news report, he was fortunate, the shock was not severe, and his injuries were described as being “relatively” minor.
The term relative is important, because with electrical shocks, the resulting injures could cover the spectrum from trivial all the way up to fatal.
In recent years, workers deaths from contact with electricity have averaged about one every two or three days during the course of a year. And those who survive an electrical accident, there can be many health issues that may result. Injuries include burns, difficulty breathing or a heart attack, all of which may be caused by contact with high-voltage.
Such injuries can leave a worker with impairments that can affect their ability to work. if the shock was sufficiently minor, they may be able to return to work quickly, but in more severe cases, significant medical treatment may be necessary.
This is why safety when working with or around electrical sources should be a top priority for workers and their employers.
Source: Chicagotribune.com, “Worker injured in electrical accident in Morton Grove,” Natalie Hayes, Pioneer Press, July 29, 2015
