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Has anyone ever been electrocted? Is it really that serious?

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hawaiianorangetree

hawaiianorangetree

Ideal_Rock
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Jan 17, 2009
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Hi

I got electrocuted at work yesterday whilst using a video camera. Now i say ''electroctued'' instead of ''zapped'' becasue it wasnt just one quick shock.. the current went through me for 10 -15 seconds before the camera fell on the floor. My muscles went into complete spasm and i couldn''t control it.

Now, work are ''playing it down'' sort of, just saying to my co workers that i just got ''zapped'' and that it was a ''freak accident''.. on the other hand i had the office of energy safety call me ask questions about the whole ordeal.

I am expected back to work tomorrow, yet friends and family tell me i shouldn''t be going anywhere for at least the rest of the week.

I went to the hospital and physically i am ok, my heart was out of rhythm for a bit so they monitored me on an ecg? machine and it returned to normal about half an hour later. I have 2 entry burn wounds, one on each hand and what seems to be an exit wound on the top of my foot.. it is all blistered. My muscles feel like i have run 2 marathons but other than that i am ok!

So is it a big deal? Should i go back to work tomorrow like nothing has happened or should i be expecting answers and re assurance that this ''freak accident'' wont happen again?
 
At the hospital, did they give you instructions about what to do / what not to do?

If I were in your situation I''d put in a quick call to my internist and see what he thought.
 
I''ve had it happen twice: once helping my dad put int a ceiling fan when I was about 16. Blew me off the ladder. Muscles felt real funny, head was a little scrambled, but after a couple of hours a was fine.

Happened again a couple of years ago. Husband had a lamp on that had an exposed wire and touched it while leaning on a metal shelf. Had the same effect, but this time my heart started racing. I did go to the ER that time and they monitored me for a while. I was fine.

You should be fine for going back to work if you''ve already been monitored. You may feel kind of tired though. I think it depends on how many volts have gone through you.
 
I used to date a lineman and they called it being "energized".
I had it happen to me while cleaning my electric baseboard heaters with a wet cloth. (I know...dumb)
The shock threw me across the room luckily and broke
the contact. I lay there for a long time and didn''t feel like myself till the next day.
I would call your doctor just to be on the safe side
and to answer any questions you have.
The burns concern me as they may be slow to heal.
I hope the video camera has been tossed or repaired.
 
I hope your employer is taking this seriously. People have different tolerances and reactions to electricity, what may really jolt one person is only a "zap" to another, but the burns are serious, not just being "zapped". I would hope that work is looking into the incident and not downplaying it too much--keeping everyone calm is one thing, not investigating is quite another.

Oh and for reference, I worked for an electrician while in high school and he did not turn off power to anything unless there was standing water. We would work on and replace fixtures with the power on, even 240v dryer and range outlets (I got zapped a few times, but you learn fast what not to touch). The only serious one was when working in a school and a short inside some conduit gave me quite a jolt when I was working in a junction box about 10ft from the short. Luckily it wasn't enough to throw me off the 12ft ladder
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Very glad to hear you are OK and take it easy for a couple days to get the soreness out of the muscles.
 
Is it that serious? I would consider it "that serious" if my heart rhythm was messed up (clearly for awhile if it was still messed up after you got to the hospital), I had multiple burn marks on my body when I hadn''t jumped in a fire or a hot oven, and when my muscles felt like I had run two marathons.. I hope your company takes this seriously because that is pretty scary! If you feel that sore I would stay home for a couple days to rest up. It sounds like your body took quite a little hit from the "zap." And personally, I would want reassurance to know that steps would be taken to prevent this from happening again.. yes, accidents do happen.. but if your company is smart they will cover their booty to make sure it doesn''t happen again!! I''m not the type of person to "blame" the company but I also know that companies do have some liability and if they aren''t taking steps to protect their employs or if they fail to protect you after an accident happens then that is just bad practice!
 
Date: 12/2/2009 11:08:34 AM
Author: sparklyheart
Is it that serious? I would consider it ''that serious'' if my heart rhythm was messed up (clearly for awhile if it was still messed up after you got to the hospital), I had multiple burn marks on my body when I hadn''t jumped in a fire or a hot oven, and when my muscles felt like I had run two marathons.. I hope your company takes this seriously because that is pretty scary! If you feel that sore I would stay home for a couple days to rest up. It sounds like your body took quite a little hit from the ''zap.'' And personally, I would want reassurance to know that steps would be taken to prevent this from happening again.. yes, accidents do happen.. but if your company is smart they will cover their booty to make sure it doesn''t happen again!! I''m not the type of person to ''blame'' the company but I also know that companies do have some liability and if they aren''t taking steps to protect their employs or if they fail to protect you after an accident happens then that is just bad practice!
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Ditto. It sounds very serious to me. I''d contact your doctor and see what he has to say about how long you should take off work. And I certainly wouldn''t be back to work the next day. Your employer is downplaying it because they don''t want to get sued!
 
agreed. company is trying to minimize workers comp liability. in this case I''d follow the dr''s instructions carefully... because they wrote out a summary - this is what happened to you - and this is what you should do- and if anything different come in... sort of thing. Usually a print out - so that you can read it.

They''ll get a copy of your Dr''s notes and medical records... so they''ll know what your injuries are.

Also, what sort of work do you do? If you have to walk around, that should be limited considering the burn on your foot! Please take care of yourself... no one on their death bed ever said - i wish I spent more time at the office.
 
Date: 12/2/2009 11:08:34 AM
Author: sparklyheart
Is it that serious? I would consider it ''that serious'' if my heart rhythm was messed up (clearly for awhile if it was still messed up after you got to the hospital), I had multiple burn marks on my body when I hadn''t jumped in a fire or a hot oven, and when my muscles felt like I had run two marathons.. I hope your company takes this seriously because that is pretty scary! If you feel that sore I would stay home for a couple days to rest up. It sounds like your body took quite a little hit from the ''zap.'' And personally, I would want reassurance to know that steps would be taken to prevent this from happening again.. yes, accidents do happen.. but if your company is smart they will cover their booty to make sure it doesn''t happen again!! I''m not the type of person to ''blame'' the company but I also know that companies do have some liability and if they aren''t taking steps to protect their employs or if they fail to protect you after an accident happens then that is just bad practice!
Click to expand...

I agree. While I very much doubt you''ll have any lasting problems from this (so don''t panic), if it affected your heart rhythm and left you with burns it is SERIOUS. I am disappointed your employers aren''t taking it more seriously! Are they aware of what your injuries were and what the hospital said? If they are, it sounds suspiciously like they are trying to cover themselves by playing it down, which is completely wrong of them.

Don''t push yourself to go back to work until YOU feel ready. And definitely make sure it is fully investigated and steps are taken to make sure it doesn''t happen to anyone else. If someone had a pre-existing heart condition, that could have been fatal.
 
Being electrocuted is very serious as it results 100% of the time in death. My husband is an electrician and electrical engineer and he is always telling me, "people who have been electrocuted do not live to tell the tale". Not to make light of the pain you felt, but you were shocked, not electrocuted.

You are probably fine. Consult a dr if you are concerned. My husband got badly shocked once and he''s still around :)
 
Ask your doctor.
 
Date: 12/2/2009 11:22:47 AM
Author: LilyKat

Date: 12/2/2009 11:08:34 AM
Author: sparklyheart
Is it that serious? I would consider it ''that serious'' if my heart rhythm was messed up (clearly for awhile if it was still messed up after you got to the hospital), I had multiple burn marks on my body when I hadn''t jumped in a fire or a hot oven, and when my muscles felt like I had run two marathons.. I hope your company takes this seriously because that is pretty scary! If you feel that sore I would stay home for a couple days to rest up. It sounds like your body took quite a little hit from the ''zap.'' And personally, I would want reassurance to know that steps would be taken to prevent this from happening again.. yes, accidents do happen.. but if your company is smart they will cover their booty to make sure it doesn''t happen again!! I''m not the type of person to ''blame'' the company but I also know that companies do have some liability and if they aren''t taking steps to protect their employs or if they fail to protect you after an accident happens then that is just bad practice!
Click to expand...

I agree. While I very much doubt you''ll have any lasting problems from this (so don''t panic), if it affected your heart rhythm and left you with burns it is SERIOUS. I am disappointed your employers aren''t taking it more seriously! Are they aware of what your injuries were and what the hospital said? If they are, it sounds suspiciously like they are trying to cover themselves by playing it down, which is completely wrong of them.

Don''t push yourself to go back to work until YOU feel ready. And definitely make sure it is fully investigated and steps are taken to make sure it doesn''t happen to anyone else. If someone had a pre-existing heart condition, that could have been fatal.
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This is very serious and they do seem to be trying to avoid a lawsuit.

One of my computer courses had a day for learning about safety when working on computers & other things (this was a combined class for the CAD people and for electrical engineering). There are special straps and stuff that you are supposed to use so that IF something happens the current doesn''t go through your HEART.
Depending on the person & the current that can be very DEADLY.

Your burns and the fact that it messed up your heart says that it was SERIOUS and you were very lucky.

Talk to your doctor. See what he/she says and then follow it. Your work can''t complain if you are following your doctor''s instructions.
 
See your regular Doctor and specifically ask if a referral to a burn specialist is needed.
If the burn marks are bigger than a quarter then it likely is needed.
Electrical burns are deep and take a long time to heal.
Do not sign any papers and keep your options open.
Personally I would take a few days off see your doctor asap and start the workers comp paperwork moving.
 
Thanks for all your relpies.

Yes, it turns out that it is quite serious and work are investigating accordingly. It seems that our electircal equipment (cameras, minidisks) are meant to be checked out yearly and they haven''t been done for several years. Also, the transformer on the camera cord i was using was incorrect and they have all been removed, it seems that the 240 volts jumped the trasformer and went into me.
I am having a meeting with the head of HR this afternoon, presumably to make sure i don''t want to take it to court becasue apparently i have a case.

Thanks for your input again. I don''t want to make a huge issue out of it with work but at the same time i want to make sure it doesn''t happen again.
 
You have a case.
Do not sign anything, they will try and get you to sign a waiver.
I am not saying to sue them but make sure all your medical and time off is paid for first before signing anything.
 
Please don't take this wrong, but just because there "could" be a "case" doesn't mean that there is one. If your employer has properly investigated to determine the root cause and taken any necessary corrective action to prevent future incidents and you feel fine....pursuing it just becomes opportunistic and personally....is an insult to those who have suffered severe injuries.

I deal with this everyday. In fact, I am having to pour more effort, time and attention into a drama queen who had the equivalent of a stubbed toe, but it was a claimed "electrocution".......than I get to devote to the woman who is in the hospital because she actually suffered a fractured hip as a result of someone running into her with a personalized shopping vehicle...or motorized cart, as some call it. That's life...but the surveillance I just put the drama queen under will reveal that she is in no way suffering from any debilitating injury and quash her bogus claims quickly. I am not inferring that you are doing the same thing, but people have a way of bolstering fears and egging on other people to pursue secondary (monetary) gain for other than legitimate reasons.

Onlly you can search your conscience and tell whether you think your employer's time is well spent on your incident or if you are draining resources from those who are seriously in need of attention.

ETA: I have been zapped by 110 and it isn't that serious. I didn't even go to the doctor. If it was 220 and you were drooling and didn't know your name...then you would be hospitalized and the injuries obvious and objectively documented.
 
Date: 12/3/2009 12:23:22 AM
Author: miraclesrule
Please don't take this wrong, but just because there could be a 'case' doesn't mean that there is one. If your employer has properly investigated to determine the root cause and taken any necessary corrective action to prevent future incidents and you feel fine....pursuing it just becomes opportunistic and personally....is an insult to those who have suffered severe injuries.


I deal with this everyday. In fact, I am having to pour more effort, time and attention into a drama queen who had the equivalent of a stubbed toe, but it was a claimed 'electrocution'.......than I get to devote to the woman who is in the hospital because she actually suffered a fractured hip as a result of someone running into her with a personalized shopping vehicle...or motorized cart, as some call it. That's life...but the surveillance I just put the drama queen under will reveal that she is in no way suffering from any debilitating injury and quash her bogus claims quickly. I am not inferring that you are doing the same thing, but people have a way of bolstering fears and egging on other people to pursue secondary (monetary) gain for other than legitimate reasons.


Onlly you can search your conscience and tell whether you think your employer's time is well spent on your incident or if you are draining resources from those who are seriously in need of attention.


ETA: I have been zapped by 110 and it isn't that serious. I didn't even go to the doctor. If it was 220 and you were drooling and didn't know your name...then you would be hospitalized and the injuries obvious and objectively documented.
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that is true but not everything is apparent in a short time and one should not sign a waiver until some time has passed and all the problems have been taken care of.
Some issues after an electrical shock can take a couple days to crop up.
For example it is normal to feel stiff and sore, it goes away in a day or so.
But it is possible to get whiplash that takes more treatment but is not apparent for a few days because at first it is the same as a normal reaction.

110 can be serious, a friend of mine has some short term memory loss from 110 and another guy I knew was killed by 110 on a rainy day.
The burns can be serious also.
Sure people are hit by 110 and not badly injured all the time but it isn't always the case.
 
That's true Karl. Every incident is unique and must be evaluated as such. I re-read the OP's posts and discovered that she did have objective signs of entry and exit wounds. She may be sore and a little stiff for a few days. If it was going to be fatal, she wouldn't have been able to post about it...so that is a very good sign.
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However, the mind can transform this event into a somatic disorder faster than a car can go from 0-60. I doubt that her employer is expecting her "sign off" on anything so quickly. It really isn't the way the system works. My concern is that the OP will overthink everything and let fear and the suggestion of other people determine her attitude and behavior. It happens all the time. Many regret it only after the damage is done.....and that damage can be far greater and more longlasting than the effects of the original physical injury.

I'm just sayin'

ETA: I'm just overly sensitive today about this case I am working because the person is malingering and is pissed because she got a disciplinary notice and faked an incident wherein the physical findings (or lack thereof) were not consistent with the claimed mechanism of injury and that just chaps my hide.
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Date: 12/3/2009 12:42:31 AM
Author: miraclesrule
That's true Karl. Every incident is unique and must be evaluated as such. I re-read the OP's posts and discovered that she did have objective signs of entry and exit wounds. She may be sore and a little stiff for a few days. If it was going to be fatal, she wouldn't have been able to post about it...so that is a very good sign.
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However, the mind can transform this event into a somatic disorder faster than a car can go from 0-60. I doubt that her employer is expecting her 'sign off' on anything so quickly. It really isn't the way the system works. My concern is that the OP will overthink everything and let fear and the suggestion of other people determine her attitude and behavior. It happens all the time. Many regret it only after the damage is done.....and that damage can be far greater and more longlasting than the effects of the original physical injury.


I'm just sayin'
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I hear you.
I have had a boss show up in the ER with a waiver after an on the job injury so I am very much less trusting that everyone will do the right thing.
I was really tempted to sue them just because he did that but didn't.
They paid for the ER visit/stitches, follow up, and a week off work and that was the end of it.

A piece of wire came flying out of a machine that the guard was open on and cut a 3 inch long deep gash on my arm as I was walking by the machine in a marked walk way. OSHA fined them $200k initially for disabling safety switches and they paid $2000 in fines after it was said and done.
 
You see Karl, that kind of employer just pisses me off. It''s probably why I am so valuable at my job. I know the difference between how to treat a real injury vs. a bogus one.

I would be so pissed if some employer came in and tried to take advantage of an injured worker especially if they clearly violated a safety standard and removed safety guards/switches because they were too cheap or apathetic to address the condition.

I make my team go above and beyond for truly injured workers because the system can treat them with indifference and cruelty. I''m glad to hear that your injury was not too serious, and extremely relieved that the employer was fined for their lack of compliance and adherence to acceptable safety standards.

I shudder whenever I think of Ford and the Explorer and how they calculated the cost of deaths vs. the cost of recalls....I loathe that company.
 
After my meeting today i am confident that my work are taking this incident very seriously and that they are genuinely worried about my health.

The causes are still being investigated, tomorrow will be the third day running, and they have offered to pay for a full medical assessment to make sure there was no internal damage and they will also cover the costs of seeing a psych for as long as needed.

I''m not interested in taking legal action against my work. I like my job and the people that i work with and that is more important to me.
 

Date: 12/3/2009 8:28:27 AM
Author: hawaiianorangetree

After my meeting today i am confident that my work are taking this incident very seriously and that they are genuinely worried about my health.

The causes are still being investigated, tomorrow will be the third day running, and they have offered to pay for a full medical assessment to make sure there was no internal damage and they will also cover the costs of seeing a psych for as long as needed.

I'm not interested in taking legal action against my work. I like my job and the people that i work with and that is more important to me.
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I am glad they are treating you well. There is no need to take legal action against them if you have no injuries other than the ones you mentioned. I agree with Karl that that you should refuse to sign a waiver, however. And if your company is being very considerate, they will understand why you will not wish to sign one before you have been fully checked out medically and some time has passed to be sure that your burns heal.

AGBF
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There are 2 things that I have not heard anyone state in their posts (unless I missed it) . One is Worker''s Comp and the second is OSHA.
Your HR department should have sent you to the hospital emergency room and the bill should be part of your company''s Worker''s Compensation claim. You should not have to pay a doctor yourself.

Follow this link and see what your rights are: www.workerscompensation.com/
 
Oh my gosh, I am so sorry! Just wanted to say that I sure hope you are okay.
 
I''m hoping you''re doing better, and glad that your company is taking this seriously... but I agree, do not sign anything to waive your right to suit. Not saying you''ll need to - but you''ll be amazed at how your case closed once the waiver is in hand.

Just make sure your workers comp claim is being handled the way it should be.
 
The OP is Australian and laws about workers injuries are different in Australia, and in fact different in all of the states of Australia so the American laws/websites will not reflect Hawaiian''s rights.

However, she is clearly happy with the response from her employer and if that is the case then that is the best resolution to the problem. Litigation takes enormous resources, time and energy and should ALWAYS be a final resort.
 
Hope your employer is taking it very seriously. My father got electrocuted pretty badly. had to be observed overnight.

Burned off his eyelashes and singed his mustache. he had to have his wedding ring cut off.

I''ve gotten zinged pretty hard once because I was changing a breaker in the mainbox and I thought the box was off. My boots saved me.

Was on eye drops for a few weeks but that was the extent of it for the most part.

I try to be on my P''s and Q''s around anything electrical because of that.


-A
 
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