Working with electricity can be dangerous, which is why it’s so vital that you have the right safety training and education. When employers don’t provide this education or you aren’t protected with the right equipment, you could be at risk of being electrocuted.

How many people die as a result of electrocution?

Looking at the data compiled by the Electrical Safety Foundation International and information collected by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2003 and 2010 has shown that there were 42,882 people killed as a result of all occupational causes. Out of all those people, 1,738 were killed as a result of coming into contact with an electrical current.

How can electrical deaths be avoided?

Electrical fatalities can usually be avoided by wearing the correct safety equipment, cutting power where workers are making repairs or installing electrical parts and by training workers to recognize the danger of electricity. Maybe unsurprisingly, it’s the construction industry with the highest number of electrical fatalities. A total of 849 people were killed working with or near electricity.

Out of the people who came into contact with electricity in 2010, 98 percent passed away due to electrocution. The majority had been working on building, repairing or cleaning an item at the time of the incident.

Overall, electrical fatalities made up around 4 percent of all occupational fatalities between 2003 and 2010. For those who have been affected by this kind of serious accident, it’s important to understand that workers’ compensation should cover all employed workers who are killed, providing their families with benefits that they need.

Source: ESFI, “Summary,” accessed Dec. 22, 2016