We all come into contact with static electricity – when leaving a car, for example, and you might feel a brief snap called an ‘electrostatic shock’. Although the voltage involved here can be more than 10,000 volts, the current does not flow for long enough a time to be a danger to us. However, the human body is a perfect conductor of electricity so when the body is in direct contact with an electrical object with a large electric charge, an electric shock will follow.

A high percentage of all electric shocks happen in the workplace where it is an employer’s duty to protect their staff. Where you have suffered from an electrical injury as a direct result of the negligence of another person, you are in a position to make an electric shock claim for compensation.

Direct contact with electrical current can be deadly and lead to three main types of injuries: a cardiac arrest, when the heart stops pumping blood around the body; internal damage to nerves and organs; and deep thermal burns to the skin that often require major reconstructive surgery.

Within the workplace there are several circumstances which have the potential to lead to an electric shock or someone being electrocuted, such as:

• Electrical appliances or vehicles not being connected to the Earth by an earth wire
• Drilling or working underground unaware of hidden electrical wires
• Operating machinery not being placed on insulating mats
• Employees not being provided with protecting clothing and equipment, such as shoes with rubber soles
• Lack of health and safety risk assessments should you work with flammables
• Inadequate health and safety training relevant to your job role
• Poorly maintained electrical appliances where wiring is exposed
• Plug sockets being located near to water i.e. sinks
• Overloaded plug sockets

Where your injury has been caused by the negligence of another, it gives strong grounds for you to make an electrical injury claim.

The extent of the injuries after suffering an electric shock are largely dependent upon several factors, such as the type and strength of the voltage and how long you were in contact with the electricity.

Below are just a handful of the symptoms of an electric shock:

• Lack of consciousness
• Heart attack
• Irregular heartbeat
• Muscle spasms
• Seizures
• Numbness or tingling

Preventative measures are a must for those whose work is high-risk and where you have been denied this and suffered an electrical injury or electric shock as a result, you are in a position to make an electric shock claim against your employer.