Industrial 120vac shocks and Electrocution

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cornbread

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I'm trying to find some data on the number of workers that recieve a shock or are electrocuted each year in an industrial setting. I'm hoping to use thsi data to re-enforce the need to use proper PPE on 120 volt circuits. Any information would be greatly appreciated.
 
Figure 10. Frequencies of Electrocution Incidents Identified by FACE by Low Voltage Level (<600 Volts), 1982-1994

98131F10.gif


Epidemiology of Electrocution Fatalities
 
iwire said:
Figure 10. Frequencies of Electrocution Incidents Identified by FACE by Low Voltage Level (<600 Volts), 1982-1994

98131F10.gif


Epidemiology of Electrocution Fatalities
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This is interesting, but suspect. It appears that the voltage values were probably determined from the reported supply voltage, not the actual voltage the person was subjected to. How else would there be so many reported 220-240V shocks reported? Very few systems operate with that voltage to ground, and very few people are unlucky enough to touch both phases at once (though it does happen occasionally). The lack of a category for 208V shocks also points to this conclusion.
 
mpoulton said:
This is interesting, but suspect. It appears that the voltage values were probably determined from the reported supply voltage, not the actual voltage the person was subjected to. How else would there be so many reported 220-240V shocks reported? Very few systems operate with that voltage to ground, and very few people are unlucky enough to touch both phases at once (though it does happen occasionally). The lack of a category for 208V shocks also points to this conclusion.
Click to expand...

Which leads us to realizing 120 volt shocks are even more dangerous then the table shows.
 
mpoulton said:
This is interesting, but suspect. It appears that the voltage values were probably determined from the reported supply voltage, not the actual voltage the person was subjected to. How else would there be so many reported 220-240V shocks reported? Very few systems operate with that voltage to ground, and very few people are unlucky enough to touch both phases at once (though it does happen occasionally). The lack of a category for 208V shocks also points to this conclusion.
Click to expand...

Excellent analysis!
 
I'm surprised 120V number is so high. I've never heard of anyone, in the business, killed working on 120V.

The only ones I have heard of were of the "electric hedge trimmer in the rain with a damaged cord" type.

I wonder if the list includes the ones that were killed by a fall after getting shocked.

edit to add: I do remember one incident when I was packing a tool belt. Hands are sweaty, I pick up a drill motor (older type, metal body) the welder had brought over (our crew) and it shocks the snot out of me. I drop it, un-plug it and the ground is cut off. I ask the welder and he says it was tripping the breaker last week (GFI spyder) and he didn't want to go back to the shop and get another so he cut off the ground. My response: &*^&^$%@%*&&(

I guess it could happen

cf
 
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According to the publication "Trends in Electrical Injury in the U.S., 1992-2002) by James C. Cawley and Gerald T. Homce there were 3378 worker fatalities due to electrical events between 1992 and 2002 and is the 6th leading cause of occupational death. All but 30 of the fatalities were due to electrical shock. In 2002 there were 285 fatalities due to electrical events so the numbers on the pie chart don't add up to the number of injuries unless you consider that it refers to low voltage only. The paper does not reference the voltage of the incidents, but a large number are due to contact to overhead power lines so perhaps 75 is a good number for low voltage exposure only.

Does anyone know if this is workplace fatalities only or does this include non-workplace as well on the pie chart? Interesting discussion.

TxEngr
 
Never mind answering the question I posed - I found the answer. The numbers are from a total of 244 incidents investigated by NIOSH as part of the FACE program between 1982 and 1994 and is a subset of the toal number of fatalities. Of the 244 fatalities investigated, 221 were from AC Voltage. Of those, 147 were due to high voltage and 74 due to low voltage. That's where the numbers on the pie chart come from.

TxEngr
 
How 'bout this: 0.1 amp can cause ventricular fibrillation (heart attack). The electrical resistance of the human body can be as low as 500 ohms (moist skin, solid contact). So, 0.1 amp x 500 ohms = 50 V can kill. That's why OSHA requires that employees be protected from contact with exposed current-carrying conduductors >50 V. They didn't pick that number out of a hat!
 
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