Electrical injuries can occur at any time, even from low voltage domestic appliances. Major injuries can occur from poor practice of electrical safety and home DIY. It’s very important to stay safe when working with electricity; we recommend that you always get an electrician in to help prevent the following injuries:
Electric shock - Working with a voltage as low as 50v causes a current to flow that could potentially disrupt the electrical signals amongst the brain and the muscles. This may lead to problems like stopping the heart beating correctly, effect breathing and cause muscle spasms.
Electrical burns - Once an electrical current is sent through the human body it heats the tissue for as long as the length of the current flow. This can cause deep burns to the skin that often need major surgery, in some cases permanently disabling the skin. It is more common that burns are created by higher voltages; however, problems can occur from electricity supplies within the home if the current flows for more than a few fractions of a second.
Loss of muscle control - The loss of muscle control quite often means the individual cannot escape the electric shock passed through them. They can regularly receive painful muscle spasms that are strong enough to damage bones or dislocate joints.
Thermal burns - Electrical equipment can get very hot, especially if it has been overloaded, is faulty or incorrectly maintained. Some electrical equipment can get hot in normal everyday use. If they are shortened out, low voltage batteries can heat and possibly explode. Thermal burns can occur if an individual gets too close to hot surfaces or too close to an electrical explosion. Further injuries can occur if an individual pulls away quickly from a hot surface or if they accidentally touch neighbouring machinery.