As a construction worker, you put much of your time and effort into building things that people use every day. Of course, there are times when you have to be around electricity and other dangerous hazards.
Since you work with electricity so often, it’s important for you to be safe and to try to prevent accidents. Turning off the electricity in an area before working, wearing rubber gloves and rubberized shoes and keeping other coworkers informed about where you’re working and why the electricity is off can all help you avoid injuries.
Unfortunately, electrocutions still happen because of defective products, errors on site and for other reasons. If you’re electrocuted, you need to start taking steps to seek medical care right away.
What do you do after an electrocution?
The first thing to do is to call for medical assistance. Electrocution is dangerous because its after-effects aren’t always present right away.
Due to the way the body releases adrenaline in an emergency, you might not know immediately that you were injured. As the adrenaline wears off, the burns could become more apparent, and the normal functions of your internal organs could be negatively impacted.
You should go to the hospital to receive treatment as soon as possible, so the burns, as well as other side effects, can be addressed in a controlled setting. In an emergency where someone you know has been electrocuted, they may require CPR or other emergency care if they are not breathing.
What do you do after being electrocuted while at work?
Once you get medical care and are stable, your next step is to reach out to your employer to discuss the situation and start your claim for workers’ compensation. If you were a contracted worker, then you may need to make a third-party claim against the client for the conditions, depending on the scenario.
Electrocutions are serious and can lead to time off work, disabilities or other problems. It’s valuable to keep notes and information on what happened and to start a claim for compensation as soon as you can to protect your rights.