Suffering an accidental electrical shock on the job could put your life in danger. The stronger the charge, the greater the risk of the electricity stopping someone’s heart. Thankfully, hundreds of workers who suffer electrical shocks at work only get injured rather than dying.
If you have been unfortunate enough to suffer an electrical shock but fortunate enough to survive it, you may need to monitor yourself for secondary consequences that could impact your job and income.
Traumatic injuries due to a fall could cause pain or limits strength
It is common for people to lose muscular control or consciousness when they suffer an electrical shock. That might mean that a worker falls. A fall from an elevation could lead to traumatic injuries, but even a fall at ground level could lead to broken bones or soft tissue injuries that affect someone’s strength or cause them pain when they try to return to work.
Burns can also affect dexterity and focus on the job
Second- and third-degree burns are common consequences of electrical injuries. Workers will usually suffer burns both at the location where the electricity entered their body and where it left, as well as at any point where their body was grounded. Those burns could lead to serious limitations on the kind of work you can do in the future, especially if you suffer burns on your hands.
Electrical current can damage organs as well
If your job requires a certain degree of fitness, electrical damage to your heart might make it unsafe for you to keep working in the same profession. An electrical shock could also damage your brain, affecting different areas of your job performance.
The extent and impact of electrical injuries will affect the care you need and your ability to go back to work. Waiting to learn what the long-term consequences of an electrical injury will be is often in the best interest of someone who needs workers’ compensation benefits because of a shock on the job.