Who is at Risk?

Electrical Injury Lawyers: High-Risk Occupations

You can suffer an electrical injury by attempting to change a broken light bulb in your office lamp or by touching an overhead power line with an aluminum ladder.

Because electricity is available in nearly every workplace, the risk of electrical injury is an occupational hazard in a surprisingly broad range of trades and professions.

According to the National Institute of Occupational Health (NIOSH), the vast majority of electrical injuries occur in the construction industry, followed by manufacturing, transportation, communications, public utilities and public administration.

A 12-year study of electrical injuries and fatalities found the following occupations at highest risk:

• Lineman — Those working with overhead power lines or cables are in close proximity to high-voltage power lines.
• Laborer — General laborers work in conditions where faulty electrical wiring and exposed wiring are common.
• Electrician — Although highly trained and knowledgeable about the risk of electrical injury, electricians are exposed to the potential for electric shock nearly every working day.
• Painter — Scaffolding and ladders can contact overhead power lines and cause serious injury.
• Truck driver — A boom truck, bucket truck, lift truck, dump truck or other vehicle can come into contact with an overhead power line.
• Machine operator — High-voltage manufacturing equipment and improperly grounded low-voltage machines can cause electrical injuries to workers.
• Construction worker — Electrocution accidents on a construction site often involve confusion over whether a conductor was live or not. Other subcontractors may have failed to perform proper safety checks.
• Technician — Working with electrical machinery and equipment puts technicians in a variety of fields at risk for electrical injury.
• Farm worker — Large, farm implements can come into contact with overhead power lines.
• Maintenance worker — Maintaining machinery and equipment involves exposure to electrical hazards.

Roofers, tree trimmers, cable TV installers, window washers and anyone else who works above the ground are also at increased risk for electric shock and electrical burns due to contact with power lines. Electrical injury is a leading cause of death for miners.

The attorneys of Rouda, Feder Tietjen & Zanobini represent clients who have sustained all types of electrical injuries. To learn if we can be of assistance to you, please contact our law firm today. From our offices in San Francisco, we represent clients throughout California and nationwide.

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