How often these injuries happen
OSHA recorded 1,740 severe cases involving electric parts over the last decade. The most frequent injury type is effects of electric current, which accounts for 80% of all reported incidents. These injuries often result in immediate hospitalization due to the intensity of the electrical discharge.
You may suffer from deep tissue burns and neurological damage that require extensive medical intervention and long-term recovery periods.
Shocked by electric parts? Check what benefits you may be owed.
Check My BenefitsHow these injuries happen
Injuries involving electric parts typically occur when you make direct contact with energized equipment or live wires. Many incidents involve unexpected exposure to an electric arc or indirect contact through conductive surfaces like metal tools or machinery. These events often happen during maintenance, troubleshooting, or when equipment is improperly DE-energized before you begin work.
| Cause | Incidents | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Direct exposure to electricity | 1,197 |
| 2 | Struck by falling object | 117 |
| 3 | Exposure to electric arc | 116 |
| 4 | Indirect exposure to electricity | 84 |
| 5 | Compressed between running equipment and other object(s) | 42 |
| 6 | Exposure to electricity— unspecified | 27 |
| 7 | Explosion— n.e.c. | 17 |
| 8 | Struck by rolling, sliding, or shifting objects—non-running | 14 |
Where injuries happen most
Construction leads all sectors with 49% of reported electrical injuries, followed by manufacturing and utilities. In these environments, you frequently interact with high-voltage systems and complex power grids where a single lapse in lockout-tagout procedures or a failure in insulation can lead to a life-altering shock or burn.
Real cases like yours
Common patterns in these incidents include you contacting live wires during routine repairs, bucket trucks becoming energized by nearby lines, and power systems failing during maintenance. These reports highlight how quickly a standard task can turn dangerous when electrical isolation is incomplete. 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 | GA | Construction | "Employees were removing a damaged uninterrupted power supply (UPS) from an audio/visual rack system. The injured employee was pulling from the front. Two other employees were pushing from the rear when they lost their grip. The UPS fell, pinching the injured employee s middle finger against the floor. The employee's fingertip was partially amputated without bone loss." | |
| 2025 | TX | Utilities | "An employee was changing out load break switches while positioned on the ground next to a bucket. The bucket truck became energized by a nearby electrical line and the employee sustained an electrical shock via contact with the bucket truck." | |
| 2025 | FL | Accommodation & Food Services | "An employee was preparing to replace a ceiling light fixture in the kitchen area. He removed two ceiling tiles, reached to touch the back of the housing of the light fixture, and contacted a live electrical wire. The employee sustained an electric shock and second-degree burns on his left hand." | |
| 2025 | GA | Transportation & Warehousing | "On July 29, 2025, an employee was troubleshooting and/or changing an emergency power connector on an aircraft. The employee experienced an electrical shock when an exterior electrical source was activated. The employee was hospitalized for electric shock and burns on their lower right arm." | |
| 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 | KS | Administrative Services | "An employee was operating a vacuum truck, using the controls to raise the bed. As it rose, the bed touched an overhead power line. Electricity passed through the employee, entering through their left hand and exiting through their left toe." | |
| 2025 | GA | Construction | "An employee was replacing a circuit breaker in a panel and sustained electrical burns to his right hand and both forearms." | |
| 2025 | FL | Construction | "On July 21, 2025, during the pouring of a concrete apron intended to connect property to a highway, an employee was using a bull float on an aluminum pole. They lifted the the pole and it made contact with an active power line. The employee sustained an electrical shock, burns to the hands, and electric current-induced amputation of six toes." | |
| 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 | OK | Utilities | "Three employees were performing updates on electrical lines. One employee was operating the digger truck. The digger operator swung the boom with an attached auger. The injured employee went to reposition the auger as the boom made contact with the electrified line above. The injured employee was shocked and sustained an exit wound on the outside of their left little toe. The employee was hospitalized." |
Source: OSHA Severe Injury Reports. Narratives are verbatim from filings; identifying details may have been redacted by OSHA.