Trends in Workplace Electrical Injury

Abstract

Comprehensive data on work-related electrical injuries is essential for prevention efforts. The Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, maintains separate databases for fatal and non-fatal work-related injuries, and these provide information about the types of workers who have experienced injury from electrical hazards, the work activities when injury occurred, the occupations and industries of injured workers, demographic information on injury victims, and other key descriptors that are useful in identifying injury trends and areas of concern. As further described below, fatality data is collected through the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, a surveillance system that draws upon multiple information sources. Data on non-fatal injuries is available through the Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), which collects data from a sample of employers each year, utilizing employer records of occupational injury and illness to generate injury and illness estimates (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics 2009). Injuries which must be recorded by employers include injuries resulting in days away from work, restricted work or transfer to another job, medical treatment beyond first aid, loss of consciousness, or significant injury otherwise diagnosed by a physician or other licensed health care professional.