Several Workers Injured by High-Voltage Line at Construction Site in Alexandria, Virginia

Alexandria, Virginia — Three workers sustained serious injuries after being shocked by a high-voltage line at a construction site on Monday morning. The incident happened at the 6300 block of Stevenson Avenue near Stevenson Park.

According to reports, three workers were severely injured, with two of them facing life-threatening injuries and the third sustaining critical but non-life-threatening injuries.

The construction site consists of six townhomes with power lines above ground, belonging to the Old Creek Homes development. Visual evidence at the scene suggests that a lengthy piece of metal, seemingly part of a system used for lifting piles of bricks onto the townhouse exteriors, is leaning against a fence close to the power lines.

Thoughts on construction-site accidents

Construction work comes with a lot of risks. When it comes to electrocutions, construction workers face approximately four times the risk compared to workers in other industries combined, and electrocution ranks among the top four most common perils on construction sites.

Furthermore, many of these accidents involve workers who are not trained electrical specialists. OSHA emphasizes the importance of proper training and enforcement of safe work habits to reduce such risks. To prevent similar incidents in the future, adherence to safe work practices, such as exercising caution around energized lines, de-energizing equipment before maintenance, and ensuring proper maintenance of tools and equipment, is important.

Thorough investigations into accidents like this are essential to determine whether adequate safety procedures were in place and followed. If any negligence or wrongdoing is found, it is important for those who failed to keep workers safe to be held accountable.

Electrocution hazards, like the one encountered in this case, are responsible for an average of 411 fatalities annually. Let us do more to keep our workers safe.

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The Ammons Law Firm represents clients nationwide in catastrophic injury and wrongful death litigation, with extensive experience in complex auto/tire defect and commercial vehicle cases.

Disclaimer: This post is not legal advice. Information contained in this blog was compiled from third-party sources or is the opinion of the author. Please inform us immediately if false or misleading information is contained in this post.