More electrical fatalities at home than at work in Ontario

Electrical fatalities in the general public have now outnumbered fatalities in workers, according to the Electrical Safety Authority’s (ESA) Ontario Electrical Safety Report, the only report of its kind in Canada that presents the state of electrical safety.

Of the nearly 1,000 electrical injuries that occur in Ontario, nearly half are in the general public (48 per cent) and 52 per cent occur at work. The total number of emergency department visits for electrical injuries have decreased by 44 per cent in the past 10 years; however, more than 80 per cent have been classified as critical injuries.

“We see a steady stream of patients with electrical injuries every year, and those injuries can often be life changing,” says Dr. Marc Jeschke, medical director of the Ross Tilley Burn Centre at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre.

“The more awareness people have about preventing dangerous situations that lead to serious injuries, the better.”

Read the full release on the Electrical Safety Authority’s website.