NCJ Number
216810
Journal
Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 51 Issue: 6 Dated: November 2006 Pages: 1383-1388
Date Published
November 2006
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This analysis of accidental fatalities caused by electricity in Sweden between 1975 through 2000 assesses risk factors, the role of alcohol use, and prevention strategies.
Abstract
Over this period, deaths due to electricity in Sweden constituted 0.36 percent of the total number of accidental deaths (range of 0.15-0.52 deaths annually). Although the use of electricity in Sweden increased over the period of this study, the incidence of electricity-related fatalities decreased. Preventive measures adopted most likely contributed to this trend. The measures have included the setting of minimum standards for electrical installations, installing earth wires, improved wall sockets, and the increased use of ground fault interrupters and arc protection devices. Some important prevention measures for work-related electricity-related deaths are the common practice of "deadening" the collector wires of the railway tracks where railway carriages are parked and the development of guidelines for electricians that urge verification that an installation is "dead" before work is begun. A total of 285 cases of death by electricity were found; 94 percent of the victims were men. A total of 151 of these fatalities occurred during leisure time, and 132 occurred in a work setting. Analyses of blood alcohol were performed in 231 cases (81 percent) and of urine in 218 cases. Forty-seven cases (20 percent) tested positive for alcohol in the blood, and 5 tested positive for alcohol in the urine but not in the blood. Only a few of these cases involved alcohol use at work. The deceased was determined to have caused the accidental death in 69 percent of the cases. Contributory behaviors included unauthorized repairs, the use of alcohol, overlooking aerial power lines, or lack of judgment. 6 figures, 6 tables, and 24 references