Construction
Accidents

Premises
Liability

Motor Vehicle
Accidents

Minimizing the risk of electrocution on construction sites

On Behalf of | Sep 20, 2017 | Blog

Most construction workers in New York are aware of the dangers and hazards they face when they are on the job. However, they may not know that the risk of electrocution is great. Fatal injuries from electrical hazards are a leading cause of death for many construction workers. Countless others suffer nonfatal wounds from electrical construction accidents

Electrical hazard accidents are preventable. Some electrical accidents are due to worker carelessness; others are because of employer negligence. Workers should take the following safety recommendations into consideration before they arrive at their worksites. 

Get enough rest 

Construction contractors who feel tired or fatigued are not alert enough to safely perform their duties. They may not see dangling electrical wiring, faulty equipment and other dangerous conditions that can lead to them experiencing electrical shocks and electrocutions. Workers can reduce their risk of electrocution by getting more rest outside of work hours. If they feel too tired to focus on their work, they should take breaks so they can nap and return to their jobs feeling refreshed and more alert. 

Review safety rules and work environment 

Workers should review OSHA and their worksite safety guidelines daily to stay current on how to identify and handle electrical hazards. They should also monitor their work areas for electrical hazards like overhead electrical wires before they begin performing their duties. 

Inspect equipment 

Construction contractors should inspect all electrical equipment before use. Before checking their machinery, tools and equipment, they should make sure to disconnect them from power sources. They should assess the condition of all power cords and follow inspection guidelines to determine if any equipment they will be using is defect-free. If there are issues that interfere with their equipment’s normal functions, they should label the defected device to prevent other workers from using it, inform their supervisors and managers, and follow their employer’s protocol for defective machinery and tools. They should discard any equipment that is not repairable. 

Wear protective safety gear 

Wearing the right safety gear can mean the difference between life and death for workers in the construction industry. Before working with electricity or in areas where electrical wiring or equipment are present, workers should wear properly fitting specialized personal protective gear that includes insulated rubber gloves, line hoses and nonconductive hard hats. 

The first line of defense workers have against electrocution is themselves. Contractors should follow proper work protocol, remain alert, and avoid hazardous conditions and behaviors to reduce the likelihood of experiencing electrocution on the job.

Archives

Verdicts &
Settlements

$3.75 Million

settlement for a construction worker injured by falling metal mesh

Verdicts & Settlements

$3.5 Million

Million for a carpenter injured on a construction site by a falling metal clamp

Verdicts & Settlements

$3 Million

for a 35 year old Carpenter injured when his arm became partially impaled on an improperly exposed metal support (rebar) at a construction site.

Verdicts & Settlements

$2 Million

for a woman who sustained multiple serious injuries after being struck by a hit and run driver in Manhattan.

Verdicts & Settlements

$1.825 Million

Verdict for a 29 year old construction worker injured during the building of the World Trade Center Memorial.

Verdicts & Settlements

$1.475 Million

for a Carpenter who was injured when the scaffold he was working upon collapsed.

Verdicts & Settlements

$1.2 Million

for a 35 year old Cement and Concrete worker from Queens who sustained serious injuries to his back when he slipped on debris and refuse.

Verdicts & Settlements

$1.2 Million

for a Construction worker and young father in the Bronx who was fatally electrocuted while on a scaffold.

Verdicts & Settlements

$950,000

for two sisters in high school who sustained serious injuries when struck by a vehicle that mounted the sidewalk in Brooklyn as they waited for the bus to take them to school.

Verdicts & Settlements

$825,000

for a woman injured as a passenger in an accident involving a bus and a car in the Bronx.

Verdicts & Settlements

$777,000

for an Ironworker on Long Island who sustained serious injuries when he fell from a ladder which slid out from under him due to icy footing.

Verdicts & Settlements

$750,000

for a surgeon who sustained a broken knee in a motor vehicle accident (January, 2017).

Verdicts & Settlements

$750,000

for a man severely burned in his apartment by excessively hot shower water (Sept. 2020).

Verdicts & Settlements

$660,000

verdict for a 35 year old Cement and Concrete laborer who was injured when the scaffold he was walking upon collapsed.

Verdicts & Settlements

$650,000

for a cement and concrete worker who slipped and fell over construction debris.

Verdicts & Settlements

$650,000

for a Cement and Concrete worker who injured his back as a result of slipping upon a discarded pipe and falling down a flight of steps.

Verdicts & Settlements

$500,000

for a Nursing Home resident injured due to lack of proper care.

Verdicts & Settlements

$325,000

for a woman who sustained multiple serious injuries to her shoulder as a result of a trip and fall upon a defective sidewalk at a construction project in Manhattan.

Verdicts & Settlements

$250,000

verdict in the exact amount demanded by our office for our client, but refused by the responsible defendants, was awarded by the jury to our client who sustained a fractured elbow as a result of a fall upon a badly broken sidewalk.

Verdicts & Settlements

$325,000

for a young woman who sustained a fractured ankle as a result of a fall on soapy steps in her apartment building in the Bronx.

Verdicts & Settlements

$495,000

for a young mother who was struck by a car while crossing the street near her home in Queens sustaining serious injuries to her leg requiring the surgical placement of a metal plate and screws.

Verdicts & Settlements

$600,000

for a woman who sustained multiple injuries as a passenger in a motor vehicle accident.

Verdicts & Settlements

$425,000

was secured by our office for a Cement and Concrete worker injured when a work area collapsed beneath him.

Verdicts & Settlements

$400,000

for a woman struck from behind by a car as she walked to a supermarket in a shopping center parking lot in Yonkers.

Verdicts & Settlements

$200,000

for a young man, 15 years of age, who sustained a partial tear of the rotator cuff of his right shoulder, which has now healed without any limitation upon his activities.

Verdicts & Settlements

$325,000

for a school principal in the Bronx who tripped and fell over a construction plate in the school parking lot.

Verdicts & Settlements

$300,000

for a young Cement and Concrete worker who was struck by falling debris dislodged from a building by a swinging crane.

Verdicts & Settlements

$250,000

for a Cement and Concrete worker injured as a result of a fall at a Manhattan construction site.

Verdicts & Settlements

$300,000

for a school teacher in the Bronx who sustained an injury to her shoulder when she tripped and fell due to negligently placed computer wiring.

Verdicts & Settlements

$275,000

to a Construction laborer doing bridge work whose arm was fractured when falling construction material caused him to fall into the East River and onto debris.

Verdicts & Settlements

$450,000

for a child injured when a table fell on him in a laundromat in Queens.

Verdicts & Settlements

$450,000

verdict for a Volunteer Firefighter in Westchester who sustained injuries in the course of fighting a fire.

Verdicts & Settlements

10 Best Attorney 2017-2023 Client Satisfaction American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys
NTL Top 100 Member Seal
Super-lawyers-Howard-r-sanders2022
New York Magazine
Howard R. Sanders Esq. BBB Business Review
FindLaw Network