Reportable injuries to employees, resulting from contact with electricity or electrical discharge, collated through RIDDOR, amounted to 434 incidents in the 2004/05 period. Of this figure 4 people sadly passed away with 75 suffering from a Non-fatal major electrical injury.

As it is difficult to completely eradicate the occurrence of electric shocks the best advice that can be offered is to limit risk and be prepared wherever possible which includes providing first aid basic life support training and secondary injury care training for electricians.

The usefulness of undertaking an electrical injury centred first aid course becomes more apparent when viewing compensation claims won by a great deal of solicitors, in the UK. Just recently Sally Rissbrook at national law firm Irwin Mitchell in Riverside, Sheffield helped Ian Wells, 25yr old maintenance fitter secure an award for over £2,000 after suffering electric shock at work.

Sally commented that the case highlighted “the importance of health and safety procedures in the workplace and proper employee training, to ensure accidents and injuries, such as those suffered by Mr Wells, do not occur and cause financial loss to the employer."

Even low voltage electric shock can result in a cardiac arrest. It would therefore be beneficial to have an Automated External Defibrillator available for employees when working with electricity which could increase the chances of saving someone’s life.

Training is recommended by the UK Resuscitation Council in order to correctly use defibrillators. In addition to Kays Medical's First Aid and Electric Shock course there is an Automated External Defibrillator course. A large range of defibrillators are also available from Kays including the NHS preferred Powerheart AED G3.