Canadian Occupational Safety

April 2013 23 Electrical shocks can be particu- larly damaging given the immediate eff ect they sometimes have on a per- son's body. In certain cases, the shock causes muscle contractions, so people are unable to release their grip on the source of electricity, explains Manuel Gomez, director of research at St. John's Rehab, a dedicated electrical injury rehabilitation program located at Toronto's Sunnybrook Hospital. e longer the victim is in contact with electricity, the greater the likelihood of injury. If the individual happens to be work- ing up a utility pole or on scaff olding, there is also the risk of falling and suf- fering from broken bones and other internal trauma. Heart damage is a major concern. Gomez notes electrical incidents can cause arrhythmia, a condition in which the heart doesn't pump blood as eff ectively as it normally would. is reduced capacity results in lower blood oxygenation and can potentially worsen the damage from the initial incident because the body can't repair itself as effi ciently. "I have a hypothesis that electrical injury is not localized," Gomez says. "It's a systemic injury, because the electrical current travels throughout the body." Victims can suff er physical numb- ness, anxiety, sleeping diffi culties and memory problems. ese symptoms can appear later — days or even years a er the incident. Because some of the eff ects of an electrical injury do not manifest physically — such as sleepless- ness and depression — injured people sometimes fi nd employers and family members lack sympathy. " ey may think these are intention- ally created by the (injured) individual," Gomez says. ESA notes low-voltage incidents — those involving 1,000 or fewer volts — are just as dangerous as high-voltage incidents. In a pamphlet on improving electrical safety, the organization says low-voltage issues include diffi culty walking, weakness and long-term "stroke-like" eff ects. Post-traumatic stress disorder Gomez and others at St. John's Rehab studied the link between electrical incidents and post-traumatic stress dis- order (PTSD). e researchers found a high prevalence of PTSD among outpa- tients with electrical burns. is may aff ect the likelihood of an injured worker getting back to his pre- injury job. Gomez says just 34 per cent of people injured in electrical incidents return to work. Inability to work aff ects their incomes and adds stress to their lives — as well as their families. at certainly was Hebert's experi- ence. He didn't return to full-time work a er the incident. His injuries also aff ected his wife Lorraine. "She suff ered a lot, too. She gave up a business." Lorraine had run a res- taurant, which she later sold so she could take care of her husband. ere is no doubt Hebert suffered from PTSD. "I had ringing in my ears, poor memory and I couldn't sleep," WHeN i looK BaCK, i DoN'T eveN KNoW HoW i maDe iT 7 fuel for reCoVery l ocated at sunnybrook health sciences Centre in toronto, st. John's rehab is a dedicated electrical injury rehabilitation program. it treats people who have been injured in electrical incidents in a number of ways. some of the methods seem straightforward: pain management, cognitive strengthening and stress management, for instance. others, however, are less obvious. Nutrition: for the body to heal, it needs proper nutrients. st John's employs nutritionists to help injured people recover as quickly as possible. energy conservation training: individuals with damaged muscles have to change the way they work to account for physical limitations. when an injured person begins to feel weak or fatigued, he must stop whatever he is doing immediately. "otherwise he'll produce excess work for the muscles that are already damaged," says manuel gomez, st. John's director of research. in more than 60 per cent of electrical worker incidents, improper work procedures played a role, according to the electrical safety Authority (esA). the majority of electrical injuries are linked to working on energized equipment, such as breaker panels, motor control systems and lighting. About one-half (53 per cent) of all electrical incidents that resulted in an injury are from working on live electrical equipment. esA outlines seven important steps for electrical safety at work: 1. workers, supervisors and facility/business owners must follow safety requirements defi ned by the ontario electrical safety Code and the occupational health and safety Act. 2. written safety procedures are required where anyone is working on electrical equipment. 3. supervisors and owners must communicate potential shock and arc fl ash hazards to workers as defi ned by an electrical equipment hazard analysis. 4. safety procedures and requirements must be followed by anyone working on electrical equipment. 5. workers should lock out and tag out electrical systems and equipment when doing electrical maintenance work. 6. electrical equipment should be tested to ensure it is de-energized — the use of multi-meters with fused leads is recommended. 7. written procedures should include requirements for personal protective equipment. Key steps to eleCtriCAl sAfety "She suff ered a lot, too. She gave up a business." Lorraine had run a res- taurant, which she later sold so she could take care of her husband. ere is no doubt Hebert suffered "I had ringing in my ears, poor memory and I couldn't sleep," 4. safety procedures and requirements must be followed by anyone working on electrical equipment. 5. workers should lock out and tag out electrical systems and equipment when doing electrical maintenance work. 6. electrical equipment should be tested to ensure it is de-energized — the use of multi-meters with fused leads is recommended. 7. written procedures should include "She suff ered a lot, too. She gave up a business." Lorraine had run a res- taurant, which she later sold so she could take care of her husband. ere is no doubt Hebert suffered "I had ringing in my ears, poor anyone working on electrical equipment. 5. workers should lock out and tag out electrical systems and equipment when doing electrical maintenance work. 6. electrical equipment should be tested to ensure it is de-energized — the use of multi-meters with fused leads is recommended. 7. written procedures should include tom Arban photography, courtesy of sunnybrook health sciences Centre. left: paul hebert with his granddaughter, Ckyera, taken in 2004. left: paul with wife lorraine at the hospital following his injury

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