Workplace Burns and Electrocutions

Employees working in industrial environments are at serious risk of suffering on-the-job burns or even electrocution. If an unsafe work environment or other type of employer negligence resulted in a burn or electrocution injury, the employee may be entitled to compensation.

Burns

About a quarter of all serious burns occur at a person's place of employment, and workplace burn injuries account for approximately 5% of workplace fatalities. Burns can come from fires as well as contact with hot objects and machinery. Burn injuries most frequently affect the skin, lungs, throat and eyes.

Thermal workplace burns usually come from scalds involving hot liquids, but can also be the result of open flames, hot objects, or even explosions. These burns are usually suffered on the skin. Chemical burns are usually more severe, and can be caused by contact with any number of corrosive materials that can eat away at skin and underlying tissue.

In order to prevent these types of injuries, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration dictates that all workplaces must maintain certain fire safety standards and must also educate employees regarding potential fire hazards and control procedures established in the fire prevention plan.

Electrocutions

The number of work-related electrocution victims is on the rise. According to information from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), electrocution accounts for 6% of all workplace deaths. Frequently, employer negligence is the cause when a worker is killed or seriously injured after contacting power lines or other exposed electrical sources.

Electrocutions can be fatal. When you are electrocuted, powerful electricity surges through your body, damaging tissue, nerves and even internal organs. Even after the electric current has passed through your body, there is a high probability that you may have sustained damage to the brain and/or nervous system. If you have suffered an electric shock of any kind, it is crucial that you see a doctor for a post-injury examination, even if you show no outward signs of injury.

A study published in the British Medical Journal shows that those employed in electrical, construction or manufacturing industries suffer the highest proportion of on-the-job electrocutions, but any employee can be at risk for this type of injury if employers do not take appropriate precautions to insulate or isolate open power sources.

If you or a loved one has suffered a burn or experienced an electrocution while at work, you may be entitled to compensation. Contact a workplace injury attorney at Arnold & Itkin today for a free consultation regarding your workplace injury case.