If you work for a subcontractor or receive equipment from a supplier, you should know that these third parties have responsibilities to you and your fellow workers on a construction site. Negligence on the part of these parties may cause you serious injury. This may come in the form of a severe burn inflicted on you by dangerous equipment like an unsafe electrical cord.
An electrical burn can travel through your body and damage your nerves and organs, resulting in mild to severe injuries or possibly death. OSHA explains the different ways negligent practices may lead to a power cord causing an electrical burn.
Lack of grounding
The grounding pin on an electrical plug creates an emergency path for electrical current to flow if a fault exists in the wiring. However, sometimes a cord loses the grounding pin. It may happen due to wear and tear on the cord or if someone had pulled the pin off to plug the cord into an ungrounded socket.
Cords without the grounding pin can expose you to electrical dangers since the electrical current does not have a grounding path. Additionally, the cord is no longer suitable to plug into electrical sockets that do have grounding.
Wear and tear on cords
The continuous use of electrical cords may result in other forms of damage. The harsh activities of a construction worksite may burn or tear open the cord skin. This can expose the wiring and subject it to fraying, tearing or burning. Holding on to a damaged cord as you plug it in may result in an electric shock.
Improper cords
Electrical burns may also occur if a responsible party does not supply the right kind of cords for you and your fellow workers. A power cord for a construction site should be a 3-wire type and have a code designation for hard or extra-hard use. Modifications to power cords may also degrade their ability to contain electrical current.
Do your best to stay safe
There are some steps you can take to lessen your chances of an electrical burn. You might check a cord for a lack of a grounding pin or other signs of damage before using it. You may pull a cord out by the plug and not by the cord itself to limit your exposure to electrical shocks. Still, there is a chance you may suffer a workplace burn because of a third party’s negligence, which may entitle you to compensation.