ABA Blog

Wherever electricians work, residential homes, factories or corporate offices, they are all exposed to the danger of electricity. If you’re ever looking at careers, you may be surprised to learn that mortality rates among electricians are high. It’s not necessarily electrical burns that cause the fatalities, it’s the falls and trips that contribute to a high mortality rate.

Electricians are also expected to work in cramped spaces on their knees which can cause problems with joints later in life. So just how dangerous is the career of an electrician?

Head for heights

 Electricians spend hours and hours up in places that are high. Whether that’s scrambling over roofs, on top of ladders or mending overhead power cables; anyone working at height is susceptible to injury. Falls are common and statistically most fatalities occur when people fall from relatively low heights, less than three metres.

Good temporary work platforms, guard rails and scaffold must be used on any electrical jobs at height with people encouraged to wear harnesses and safety clips.

Arc flash

An arc flash can occur with faulty connections when several electrical conductors are placed close to each other. It results in the outer layer of skin being destroyed within milliseconds. As well as external burns, a person may suffer internal burns from inhaling hot gases and the light of the flash may cause eye damage. The explosive force can send shrapnel flying at excessive speeds of up to 300 metres per second. Small pieces of metal, copper or wire can become embedded in the skin.

On the severe scale an arc flash can result in death and any survivors will undergo extensive treatment and rehabilitation.

Electrocutions

Most electrocutions occur when electricians are in contact with live electrical equipment either directly or indirectly. The human body conducts electricity and can flow easily through the body’s tissues. When a sudden discharge of electricity runs through the body, the current can result in death. The electron flow can impact the way our body functions, like keeping the heart beating. The heart is a muscle which pumps blood throughout the body and electrical interference or damage to the heart can stop it from doing its job and cause a cardiac arrest.

Even a tiny measure of electrical energy can cause electrocution and mortality, such as the current drawn from a broken 240 volt,  7.5 watt lamp when the shock passes from the hand through the body to the chest.

While an electrician’s career could be considered dangerous, many tragedies are easily preventable. Good working habits will prevent accidental electrocution, and personal protection equipment is the first line of shock against electrical burns to save your life.

At ABA Security and Electrical, all our electricians are fully licensed and have undergone extensive training. We offer a complete electrical service in Albany and the surrounding areas at affordable prices. Health and safety is prioritised and we carry out work to the utmost standards, so why not give ABA Security and Electrical a call today and see how we can help?