Electrical injury is a major safety concern for construction professionals. Exposure to electricity can lead to severe burns. It can also cause electrocution or electrical shock, which can lead to severe physical damage and secondary injuries.
An electrical shock can stop someone’s heart or can lead to them collapsing and falling. Workers at significant elevations could end up seriously injured after an electrical shock. Those working near them could end up injured because they lose control of equipment or drop materials after the shock occurs.
Thankfully, with the right safety protocols, electrical injury is largely preventable. New York laws actually extend several important protections for construction workers when a job site may expose them to electricity.
What does the law require?
According to New York State statutes, employers should make a point of inspecting a construction site to determine the voltage of any electrical supply already in place. If investigations uncover wiring with cracked or damaged insulation, the company should remove it immediately to prevent worker injury.
They must written provide warnings to workers when the voltage may be a source of danger. The company should post signs identifying electric power circuits lines underground and other potential hazards. Workers generally should not do their jobs near electrical sources without appropriate advance notice and proper safety equipment.
In scenarios where the company must interrupt the nearby electrical supply to allow for service, employers must take steps to prevent other people from turning the power back on or removing circuit-interrupting devices while work is in progress. The company must also communicate with local utility companies at least five days before beginning work within 10 feet of overhead power lines that currently receive live power.
There are also rules about the use of generators to provide temporary electrical supply to a construction site. The frames and one pole of the electrical outputs require proper grounding for legal compliance. There are also rules related to temporary electrical power circuits. Proper insulation and grounding are crucial, as is the use of weatherproof wiring.
In cases where temporary power supply is elevated, rules require that the wires be at least 18 feet off the ground or high enough to provide clearance given the equipment in use on the site or nearby if working near a road. New York statutes also prohibit emitting more than 300 volts to the ground, as that constitutes a high-voltage power circuit.
In scenarios where employers fail to adhere to those regulations, workers can end up seriously injured. Construction professionals who handle electricity may be able to pursue compensation after sustaining a significant injury on the job.