How often these injuries happen
OSHA recorded 129 severe cases of electric arc exposure, with effects of electric current accounting for 93% of all reported incidents. These injuries frequently result in deep tissue damage and require extensive medical intervention.
The most severe impacts often involve the head and extremities, leading to long-term physical impairment. Because these incidents frequently involve high-voltage equipment, the resulting burns and systemic trauma often require specialized, long-term care.
Common injuries
Arc flash incidents typically occur when you interact with energized electrical parts, which account for 90% of all reported sources. These events often happen during routine maintenance, voltage testing, or when equipment is not properly DE-energized, causing a sudden release of intense heat and electrical energy.
| Injury Type | Incidents | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Effects of electric current | 120 |
| 2 | Thermal burns | 4 |
| 3 | Surface and flesh wounds and other injuries | 2 |
| 4 | Soft tissue injuries and other injuries | 1 |
| 5 | Amputations, avulsions, enucleations | 1 |
| 6 | Traumatic injuries or exposures— unspecified | 1 |
Where injuries happen most
Construction accounts for 49% of all reported arc flash incidents, largely due to the high-risk nature of installing and maintaining utility infrastructure. You frequently operate near energized systems where a single contact with a live wire or component can trigger a catastrophic electrical discharge.
Real cases like yours
Common patterns in these reports involve you performing routine tasks like troubleshooting circuits, checking voltage, or operating aerial lifts near energized lines. These incidents frequently occur despite the use of personal protective equipment, suggesting that systemic failures in DE-energization or equipment safety protocols are often the primary cause. If any of these scenarios sound like what happened to you, an attorney can help you review the specifics of your incident.
| Year | State | Industry | Incident summary | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | TX | Construction | "A three-person crew was inter-setting a new utility pole. An employee was working to cut the conductor when a 14.4-kV arc flash occurred. The employee sustained burns to the upper-right torso. The employee was wearing personal protective equipment (PPE), including flame-resistant clothing, rubber gloves, and sleeves." | |
| 2025 | LA | Construction | "The injured employee was standing in the man basket of an aerial lift as another employee drove the lift across the yard to their destination. The two employees were going to torque nuts that were installed on the 4-hole pads of elevated substation equipment (including various types of transformers, lightning arresters, etc.). At their destination, they were ascending in the man basket when electricity arced to the basket. The injured employee sustained arc flash burns to their face and right arm." | |
| 2025 | DC | Construction | "An employee was working on a partially deenergized electrical system. His wire touched an energized wire, resulting in an electrical flash that caused second- and third-degree burns to his neck, forearm, and ear." | |
| 2025 | GA | Utilities | "An employee was checking voltage on a meter. There was an arc flash, and the employee suffered burns to both hands." | |
| 2025 | OH | Manufacturing | "An employee was troubleshooting a 3-phase electrical circuit and was replacing a fuse. An arc flash occurred and the employee suffered burns to both hands." | |
| 2025 | CO | Transportation & Warehousing | "An employee had been pulling out a fuse. A motor control center (MCC) bucket exploded and produced an arc flash. The employee sustained burns to both arms." | |
| 2025 | AR | Manufacturing | "On June 22, 2025, an employee was performing scheduled maintenance at a ladle metallurgical furnace vault. As the employee was replacing a shear pin, they contacted an energized circuit, resulting in an arc flash. The employee sustained second-degree burns to their buttocks and both legs." | |
| 2025 | WI | Construction | "A crew was installing a pistol (electrical connection) to a new section of underground electric cable. The injured employee went to align the cable and pistol and it contacted a live bushing instead of the grounded bushing. An arc flash occurred. The employee sustained second-degree electrical burns to his left forearm and right hand, index finger, and thumb. The employee was hospitalized." | |
| 2025 | FL | Manufacturing | "At 11:50 a.m. on June 17, 2025, an employee was working on a 60-amp battery. As he was removing nuts with a wrench, there was an arc flash. The wrench welded itself to the terminals, and the employee suffered second-degree burns along the left palm, thumb, and index finger, as well as a burn on his right middle finger." | |
| 2025 | FL | Construction | "An employee was making an electrical connection at a power meter outside a building. There was an arc flash and the employee was shocked, suffering second-degree burns on both hands." |
Source: OSHA Severe Injury Reports. Narratives are verbatim from filings; identifying details may have been redacted by OSHA.
Frequently asked questions
Arc flash injuries often cause severe thermal and electrical burns that can lead to permanent nerve damage, scarring, and loss of function in your hands or face. Recovery may involve multiple surgeries and extensive physical therapy to regain mobility. An attorney can help you document these long-term medical needs to ensure your claim accounts for future care.
Employers are required to provide a safe work environment that goes beyond just supplying personal protective equipment. If safety protocols like proper DE-energization or equipment maintenance were ignored, your employer may still be liable for your injuries. An attorney can help you investigate whether your employer followed all necessary safety standards to prevent the arc flash.
Workers' Compensation typically covers medical expenses, rehabilitation costs, and a portion of lost wages while you are unable to work. In cases of permanent impairment, you may also be entitled to disability benefits. An attorney can help you verify that you are receiving the full range of benefits you are entitled to under the law.
OSHA requires employers to report any workplace incident that results in hospitalization, amputation, or the loss of an eye. Because many arc flash injuries lead to immediate hospitalization, these events are frequently documented in federal records. If your injury was severe enough to require hospital care, an attorney can help you understand how these records impact your legal options.