Working with power tools and heavy equipment is just “part of the job” for many professionals. Those who work in construction, manufacturing and maintenance professions often use a variety of tools as part of their regular job responsibilities.
Overall, such devices have a net positive impact on modern work environments. Saws, drills and other power tools significantly reduce the amount of manual exertion involved in someone’s job. There is much more energy expended and time wasted when someone manually drives in a screw versus using a power tool to sync it into place.
Unfortunately, the use of tools on the job may lead to someone suffering a significant injury. One of the many risks associated with power tools at work is the possibility of an electrical shock due to a device failure or wiring issue. What kinds of injuries result from electrical shocks caused by tools?
1. Burns
One of the more common injuries that people develop because of an electrical issue with a power tool is a burn. An electrical burn can lead to major blistering and even nerve damage in extreme cases. Burns can leave someone unable to handle tools or perform other job responsibilities for weeks.
2. Severe electrical injury
An electrical shock won’t always lead to a surface injury like a burn. Sometimes the electrical current causes internal damage. Electrical injuries can include damage to nerves and muscle tissue caused by the electricity streaming through the body. In extreme cases, an electrical injury could cost someone their life by stopping their heart or damaging their brain.
3. A fall
Someone on scaffolding or a ladder at the time of a shock could lose consciousness or their sense of balance and tumble to the ground. Even those who experience a same-level fall instead of a fall from an elevation could break a bone or suffer a brain injury.
Electrical shocks that occur on the job because of defective power tools can lead both to workers’ compensation claims and also potentially to third-party claims against the manufacturer of the tool that failed. Learning more about common work injuries can help people avoid them and to pursue compensation after an injury with the assistance of a legal professional.
