Know How to Identify and Help an Electric Shock Victim

Would you know what to do if you encountered an electric shock accident? Knowing critical information ahead of time will help protect you and could save someone’s life. The Safe Electricity program encourages you to be prepared by learning the symptoms of electric shock and knowing how to help someone who gets shocked by electricity.

In many cases, electric injury is obvious with the electricity causing heart stoppage, burns, broken bones and seizures. In other cases, the injury might not be as evident, because electrical contact affects the body from the inside out.

If you or a loved one is involved in contact with electricity and there are no obvious injuries, watch for these symptoms that something is wrong:

• Changes in alertness
• Headache
• Problems with vision, swallowing, or hearing
• Irregular heartbeat
• Muscle spasm and pain
• Numbness or tingling
• Breathing problems

If you come upon someone who you believe is in contact or has just suffered an electrical shock:

• Look first. Do NOT touch. The person may still be in contact with the electrical source and be energized. Touching the person may pass the current through you. If there are others nearby, make sure they do not touch the person either.
• Call, or have someone nearby call, 911 and the electric utility.
• Turn off the source of electricity, if known and if safely possible (i.e., circuit breaker or box). If you are not sure, wait for help from the emergency responders.
• Only once the source of electricity is OFF, check for signs of circulation (breathing, coughing, or movement). Provide any necessary first aid.
• Prevent shock. Lay the person down and, if possible, position the head slightly lower than the trunk with the legs elevated.
• Do not move a person with an electrical injury unless the person is in immediate danger.

Remember—DO NOT touch the person with your bare hands if he or she is still in contact with the electrical current. Do not get near high-voltage wires until the power is turned off. Call 911 and the utility to have them come and de-energize the lines.

Anyone who has come into contact with electricity should see a doctor to check for internal injuries, even if he or she has no obvious signs or symptoms.

For more information on staying safe around electricity, go to SafeElectricity.org.