September 29, 2022 – An initiative of several electrical industry associations aims to raise awareness of the dangers of electric shock injury “so that we may support our workers and our economy”.

The Electrical Injury Day of Recognition is sponsored by the Electrical Contractors Association of Alberta (ECAA), the Canadian Electrical Contractors Association (CECA), and the National Electrical Trade Council (NETCO).

“We welcome other industries and trade organizations to join us in supporting this initiative to raise awareness of the dangers of electric shock injury […]” say the partners, who ask us to set aside October 6 as a day to raise awareness on the long-term consequences of electric shock exposure.

While the immediate effects of electric shock are known, there remains little to no awareness of the potential long-term consequences, which can include “psychological, neurological, and physical impairment, of varying degrees”.

Symptoms often present as a distinguishable pattern; however, they are often misdiagnosed by family physicians, and physicians of occupational medicine, add the associations.

WATCH OUR INTERVIEW “The struggle to recognize and accept electrical injury” with Dr. Marc Jeschke, the director of the Ross Tilley Burn Centre (part of Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre) below.

“An expert opinion is required to properly diagnose and treat those who may have been injured, and unfortunately due to this limitation, workers more than often cannot get the help they need,” they write. “Currently, there is no cure for the long-term effects of electrical injury, and few North American hospitals are performing research in this area.”

READ THE ARTICLE Recognition of electrical injury remains an uphill battle from the April 2022 edition of Electrical Business Magazine.

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