2.2 Occupational Electrocutions and Injuries

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1 Electrocutions and Injuries Electrocutions and Injuries fatalities because of electrocutions are a significant and ongoing problem. They are the fifth leading cause of occupational injury death in the United States, and a particular hazard to those who routinely work near electrical sources. Studies have shown that the highest proportion of electrocution deaths is among electricians and electrical helpers, utility workers and those working in construction and manufacturing industries. As well, electrocutions are more common among workers who are younger than the average age of occupational deaths overall. Contact with overhead powerlines is reportedly by far the most frequent cause of fatal electrocution injury (Taylor, 22). OUR GOAL Avoid preventable injuries of an electrical nature to reduce disability, deaths, lost time from work, and health care utilization. WHO S AT RISK? All 7.4 million people in Ontario s workforce 1 Number of and Non- Electrocutions in Ontario, Number of Electrocutions Nonoccupational Conclusion: 29% reduction in occupational electrocutions since 26. 8% reduction in non-occupational electrocutions since Ontario Electrical Safety Report 13

2 Electrocutions and Injuries Five-year Average Number of Electrocutions and Serious Injury 2 Safety Five-year Average in Ontario Electrical Workers Safety Overall Conclusion: 34% decrease in the five-year rolling average; to Five-year Rolling Electrocution and All Workplace Average Fatality Rates in Ontario, Five-year Average Rate per Million Workers Electrocutions All Workplace Fatalities Conclusion: 38% decrease in the five-year rolling average rate for occupational electrocutions; to Ontario Electrical Safety Report

3 Electrocutions and Injuries 4 Five-year Average Rate per Million Workers Five-year Rolling Average of Electrocutions in Ontario, Electrocutions Conclusion: The five-year rolling average occupational electrocution rate has decreased 41% over the last ten years. 5 Percentage of Electrocutions by Facility Type in Ontario, and Utility Residential Public Place Mining Institution Industrial Farm Commercial Campground.% 5.% 1.% 15.% 2.% 25.% 3.% 35.% Farm Mining Public Place Campground Commercial Industrial Institution Residential Utility % % 1.6% 14.9% 19.1% 4.3% % 23.4% 21.3% % % % 19.4% 3.2% 12.9% 3.2%.% 16.1% 3% 12.9% Conclusion: Increase in percentage for utility, residential and commercial facilities. 21 Ontario Electrical Safety Report 15

4 Electrocutions and Injuries 6 Percentage of Electrocutions by Type of Work in Ontario, and Utility Repair/Maintenance Production Other Moving Farming Disassembling Construction.% 1.% 2.% 3.% 4.% 5.% 6.% 7.% Construction Disassembling Farming Moving Other Production Repair/ Maintenance Utility % % % % 23.4%.% 57.4%.% %.% 3.2%.% 25.8% 3.2% 3% 3.2% Conclusion: Increase in percentage for utility, residential, and commercial type work. 7 Probable Cause of Electrocutions in Ontario, Other/Unknown Improper Procedure Theft/Misadventure Poor Design Aging Equipment Lack Of Maintenance Human Error Faulty Equipment.% 1.% 2.% 3.% 4.% 5.% 6.% 7.% Probable Cause of Fatalities Faulty Equipment Human Error Lack of Maintenance Aging Equipment Poor Design Theft/ Misadventure Improper Other/ Procedure Unknown 5.1% 7.7% 2.6% 1.3% 1.3% 5.1% 6.3% 16.7% Conclusion: Over 6% are possibly due to improper procedures Ontario Electrical Safety Report

5 Electrocutions and Injuries 8 Number of Electrocutions Number of Electrocutions by Work Type in Ontario, Apprentice Electrician Lineperson Total Electrical Trade Other Trades Electrocutions Conclusion: In the last ten years, 29% of occupational electrocutions involved electrical trades people. 9 Percentage of Electrocutions by Work Type in Ontario, and Other Trades Lineperson Electrician Apprentice.% 1.% 2.% 3.% 4.% 5.% 6.% 7.% 8.% Apprentice Electrician Lineperson Other Trades % 14.7% 8.8% 7.6% % 14.3% 4.8% 71.4% Conclusion: No change in electrocution percentage for all electrical trades people. 21 Ontario Electrical Safety Report 17

6 Electrocutions and Injuries 1 Number of Fatal and Critical Injuries Fatal and Critical Injuries by Type of Work in Ontario, 2 24 and Apprentice 7 3 Electrician 5 3 Lineperson 6 1 Total Electrical Trade Electrocutions and Critical Injuries Conclusion: A six-fold increase in serious incidents with electricians from 2-24 to Number of Allowed WSIB Lost Time Electrical Injury Claims by Sector in Ontario, Number of Claims Services Manufacturing Construction Government/ Municipalities Automotive Health Care Chemical Process Transportation Electrical Primary Metals Food Agriculture Mining Pulp & Paper Education Forestry Number of Allowed Lost Time Claims Conclusion: Nine out of every 2 claims (45%) occur in the services or manufacturing sector. Source: Workplace Safety and Insurance Board Ontario Electrical Safety Report

7 Electrocutions and Injuries 12 Number of Claims Number of Allowed WSIB Lost Time Electrical Injury Claims by Top Ten Sources, Number of Allowed Lost Time Claims Electrical Wiring Electrical Parts, NEC Switchboards, Switches, Fuses Powerlines Spot Welding Machinery Ranges, Cooking Ovens, Grills, Toasters Machinery, Unspecified Other Machinery, NEC Fire, Flame, Smoke, NEC ,161 Conclusion: Nine out of every 25 claims (36%) are sourced to electrical wiring or electrical parts, NEC. Source: Workplace Safety and Insurance Board Water Total 13 Number of Allowed WSIB Lost Time Electrical Injury Claims by Nature of Injury in Ontario, Number of Claims Electrocutions, Electric Shocks Electrical Burns, UNS Second-degree Electrical Burns First-degree Electrical Burns Electrical Burns, NEC Third-degree Electrical Burns Nature of Injury Conclusion: Claims for electric shocks were 18 times greater than claims for third-degree burns (55% vs. 3%). Source: Workplace Safety and Insurance Board 21 Ontario Electrical Safety Report 19

8 Electrocutions and Injuries: Summary Bird Triangle of Electrical Injury, Critical Injury and Fatality 21 to 21 1 Death 3 Critical Injuries 18 Non-critical Injuries Summary of Statistics In the 21 to 21 period, there was a total of 57 occupational electrocutions (an average of 5.7 electrocutions per year) compared to 6 electrocutions from 2 to 29 (an average of 6. electrocutions per year) as reported in the 29 OESR. With the exception of 28, occupational electrocutions outnumbered non-occupational electrocutions. Since 26, there has been a 29% reduction in the number of occupational electrocutions. Statistics Directly Related to Harm Reduction Priorities Worker Safety Five-year Rolling Averages Compared Number of worker-related electrical fatalities and critical injuries based on data reported by the MOL, incidents investigated by ESA and confirmed with the Coroner s office reports. 34% decrease in the five-year rolling average; to Comparing two, five-year periods, the occupational electrocution rate dropped from 1.4 in 21 to 25, to.64 in 26 to 21. This was a 38% reduction. The five-year rolling occupational electrocution rate has decreased from 1.9 to.64 over the past ten years. This was a 41% decrease. In order, residential facilities, public places, industrial facilities, and commercial facilities are the facility types with the highest number of occupational electrocutions over the past ten years. In the industrial and commercial sectors, electricians and labourers are the occupations at highest risk 3% of occupational fatalities in this sector are electrical tradespeople Ontario Electrical Safety Report

9 Electrocutions and Injuries: Summary Over the five-year periods 21 to 25, and 26 to 21, the percentage of occupational electrocutions for utility, residential, and commercial facilities has increased. Encouraging to the farming sector, the number of occupational electrocutions was a concern but have decreased substantiality over the past ten years. For occupational electrocutions by type of work, there has been an increase in the prevalence of utility, residential, and commercial activities from the 21 to 25 period to the 26 to 21 period. Over 6% of the probable causes of occupational electrocutions were because of improper procedure. This percentage increases to 67% when combined with human error factors. In the 21 to 21 period, electrical tradespeople accounted for 29% of all electrocutions in the workplace. This percentage is higher than the 25% in the 2 to 29 period; however, no one in the electrical trade was killed in 29. This observation is also reflected in the 21 to 25 and the 26 to 21 time frame comparisons. There has been no statistical change in the occupational electrocution percentage for all electrical tradespeople in the 26 to 21 period compared to the 21 to 25 period. The number of incidents involving electricians has increased six fold in the five-year period from 25 to 29, from five to 3 incidents. The number of serious injuries to all workers of an electrical nature in the 2 to 24 period was 256. This number was reduced by more than 5% to 111 between 25 and 29. The number of serious injuries to those in the electrical trade increased from 18 in the 2 to 24 period to 34 in the 25 to 29 period. This results in an increased prevalence for the electrical trade (7.% to 3.6%) over the two periods. When looking into sectors as classified by the WSIB, the service sector has the most electrical injuries with manufacturing and construction as the second and third most common. Nine of every 2 claims (45%) occur in the services or manufacturing sector. Electrical wiring is the most common source of injury, followed by electrical parts, NEC, and switchboards/fuses. Nine out of every 25 claims (36%) are because of electrical wiring or electrical parts, NEC. Statistics from the WSIB confirmed the danger of electricity. Claims for electric shocks were 18 times greater than claims for third-degree burns (55% vs. 3%). The ratio of third-degree burns to electric shock and burns is 1: Ontario Electrical Safety Report 21