Electrocution is one of OSHA’s Fatal Four Hazards in the Construction Industry
Those of us driving along any street, road, rural route, or highway here in the Chicago area are accustomed to dealing with more and more road work zones along our path. Not just within the City of Chicago itself, but throughout Chicagoland there are all sorts of road construction projects underway. See, e.g., “You Can’t Drive Anywhere In Joliet Without Roadblocks, Orange Barrels,” written by John Ferak and published by MSN on November 11, 2024; and “New $41 billion Multi-Year Improvement Program is largest in state history,” published by the Illinois Department of Transportation Blog on June 25, 2024.
Most of us will move through these road work areas noticing things being done by construction workers on the job and along the roadside itself. However, for safety agencies, industrial researchers, and advocates for work accident victims and their loved ones, this is far from all that is happening. Road construction is complicated.
For instance, there will be the need to deal with all sorts of utility systems in the right of way. Things will be buried underground. Things will be hanging overhead. Chicagoland road work project planners must consider all these things. And each construction worker must deal with daily utility hazards involving water, internet, gas, and electrical service lines as well as equipment or machinery risks regardless of whether new roadways are being built or if the project is concerned with repair or maintenance. Read, Pamidimukkala, Apurva. “Identification of Safety Hazards in Highway Construction Projects.“
Coordination of utility work with the road construction tasks (think asphalt or demolition) is critical to keep everyone safe. Of particular concern: electricity risks. Road work brings with it a very great danger of electrocution on the job.
In fact, electrocution is named by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) as one of the “fatal four” of construction risks. Read, “Understanding the Fatal Four Hazards in Construction,” written by Rob Paredes and published by Safety Culture on September 4, 2024.
Electricity Lines and Live Circuits: The Danger Predominates Any Road Work Zone
It is impossible to imagine how our lives would continue without the ready supply of electricity to our communities. To accommodate the needs of homes, offices, businesses, schools, hospitals, and other local infrastructure, countless mazes and webs of utility lines and live circuits run beneath our pavement and overhead.
Invisible to most of us, these electrical components must be acknowledged and understood by everyone involved with any size of road project here in Chicagoland. The risk of death or permanent harm to anyone in any proximity to electrical utilities cannot be underestimated.
For all road construction projects, this means that each and every worker as well as visitors to the road work job site must be instructed on these risks (such as warning against wearing conductive clothing) and given protections (like appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)).
More than one employer, contractor, company, or professional may be under a legal duty of care and safety regarding electricity risks on the road work job site. Read, Who Can Be Held Liable for Construction Worker Accidents?
Road construction workers are at risk of harm from electricity accidents involving:
- Direct bodily contact with an overhead power line;
- Direct bodily contact with an underground power line;
- Direct bodily contact with energized objects like wiring, circuit breakers, or transformers;
- Exposure to live wiring and current in equipment such as damaged extension cords or power tools missing grounding prongs;
- Exposure to live wiring and current through the improper use of equipment for the voltage rating; and
- Exposure to electric current because of failed or improper grounding of machinery or equipment.
Duties of Safety and Care From Electrical Dangers on a Road Work Site
Both legal safety laws and regulations as well as industrial safety standards demand that those in possession, custody, or control of aspects of the road work project meet established duties of safety and care regarding electricity. The risk of electrocution or electrical burns and bodily injuries is well-known.
For more, read: Electrical Injuries and Electrocution Accidents on the Construction Site; Electricity Injuries: Fatal Electrocution Accidents; and Electric Power Lines and Live Wires on the Worksite: Serious or Fatal Electricity Accidents
Safety measures against electricity accidents on a road work site are varied. Construction companies, contractors, and others can protect workers from harm by doing things like:
- Training all workers on the dangers of electricity, how these risks may be hidden or not visible on the job site, and the importance of proper safety protocols at all times;
- Establishing safety measures on the job site to protect against all utility dangers, particularly electricity risks;
- Proper housekeeping on the work site that includes daily inspection of the site for electricity risks as well as equipment or machinery in need of repair or maintenance;
- Providing proper PPE to all workers on the site to protect against electricity hazards (such as voltage-level gloves; safety glasses; hard hats; insulated boots; and flame-resistant clothing);
- Having project management track possible electricity dangers using safety management software that comports to their specific project and its risks; and
- Preparing and promoting sitewide awareness of an emergency response plan detailing the specifics of the project in the event of an electrical accident, which not only helps the injured worker but protects others from the risk of electrical fires and live circuits on the site.
Also read: Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for Industrial Workers; Industrial Housekeeping and Construction Site Accidents; and Workplace Emergencies: Protecting Workers from Harm.
Justice for Electricity Road Work Construction Accidents in Chicago Area
Electrocution ranks as one the greatest risks facing construction workers in this country, and road work exposes more and more Chicago workers to the risk of electrical accidents on the job. Too many workers are dying from preventable accidents caused by bodily contact with electricity.
Employers and all other parties with any custody, control, or possession of aspects of any size road work project in the Chicagoland area have legal duties of safety placed upon them. Their breach of these duties of protection will result in legal liability for any resulting harm under established state or federal law.
Each case is unique. Accident investigations may reveal liability based not only upon workers’ compensation laws but also negligence (negligent supervision, entrustment, etc.); product liability; and even premises liability. There may be situations where governmental entities may be legally responsible because of legal exclusions of any sovereign immunity defense.
For any road work electricity injury, the worker victim and their loved ones have a legal right to independently investigate the incident and pursue legal claims for justice where damages may be awarded that cover not only lost wages and medical expenses, but lost earning capacity, harm to spouses and children, and more.
For more, read:
- Damages are Different: Workers Compensation vs. Third Party Personal Injury Claims
- Wrongful Death Damages After Fatal Work Accidents in Illinois or Indiana
- Who Can Claim Damages After a Work Accident in Indiana or Illinois?
- What are Legal Damages After a Work-Related Accident in Indiana or Illinois?
Electricity hides in wait on most road work zones, and even a millisecond of contact can kill the construction worker. From overhead power lines, to buried cables, to flawed machinery or equipment, the numerous Chicagoland road work zones are filled with deadly dangers. Please be careful out there!
