Injury or death due to electrocution is a significant risk on construction sites, both to electrician and non-electrician workers. On their website, OSHA has their standards as well as additional information about electrical work, hazards, and precautions.

Most injuries occur because contractors disregard the potential danger posed by “live” electrical wires. The majority of electrical injuries are not a result of working directly with electrical wires, but rather of incidental contact with overhead wires. Cranes, backhoes, excavators, dump trucks, ladders, and scaffolds may all accidently come in contact with live overhead wires and injure or kill those using the equipment.

Contractors have the responsibility of knowing the location of all overhead and buried electrical lines and alerting their workers. If the lines pose a hazard, they should be moved, insulated, or turned off before work commences. The utility company should be contacted; they can indicate the location of all electrical wires and aid in ensuring safety.

Basic safety precautions can help reduce the occurrence of electrocution during construction. For Contractors:

• Know and observe all OSHA regulations
• Provide employees with electrical safety training
• Contact utility companies before beginning construction
• Only allow work with live wires if de-energizing is somehow impractical or unsafe
• Only allow work with live wires if specific safety procedures are followed

For Electrical Construction Workers:

• Make sure that the lines you are working with and near are not live
• Do not work with live wires if you are not qualified to do so
• Do not work with live wires without a clear permit system
• Always use personal protective equipment (PPE) and do not work without the proper tools

For Non-Electrical Construction Workers:

• Insist that you receive electrical safety training if relevant
• Make sure that machines and equipment are insulated or grounded
• Regularly check power and extension cords for wear and tear
• Unplug equipment, machines, and tools before performing any inspection or repair work
• Know the location of electrical wires on the construction site
• Maintain a distance of 10 feet from overhead electrical wires
• Do not allow metal objects near sources of live electricity