Electric Shock: What to Do Safely

What an electric shock does

An electrical injury is damage to the skin or internal organs when someone comes into direct contact with an electrical current. Common causes at home and at work include faulty cords and appliances, exposed wiring, power sockets, machinery, arcs from high-voltage power lines, and lightning. Small children are injured by chewing cords or pushing objects into sockets.

The effects depend on the type of current, the voltage, how long contact lasted and the person's health. Signs can include burns, changes in alertness, an irregular heartbeat, chest pain, breathing difficulty, muscle pain and spasms, numbness or tingling, headache, seizures, problems with vision, hearing or swallowing, and broken bones from being thrown clear.

First steps, in order

1. Do not touch the person while they are still in contact with the current.
2. Turn the current off. Unplug the cord, switch off the circuit breaker, or remove the fuse from the fuse box.
3. If you cannot switch it off, stand on something dry that does not conduct electricity and use a dry non-conducting object, such as a wooden broom handle, a chair, a piece of cardboard, plastic or a rubber mat, to push the person away from the source. Do not use anything wet or metal.
4. Call for emergency help as soon as the scene is safe.
5. Check the airway, breathing and pulse. If the person is unconscious and you cannot feel a pulse, start CPR if you have been trained.
6. Treat for shock. If they are pale, faint or breathing shallowly, lay them flat with the legs raised, and keep them warm so they do not get cold.
7. Care for burns. Remove loose clothing that is not stuck to the skin, rinse the burn with cool water, then cover it with a sterile gauze dressing or a clean cloth.
8. Stay with the person until medical help arrives.

High-voltage lines and lightning

Do not go within 20 feet, about 6 metres, of a person being electrocuted by a high-voltage current, and stay further back if wires are jumping and sparking. Call the emergency services and the electricity supplier, and wait for them to confirm the power is off. Treat a fallen power line as live.

What not to do

• Do not touch the person with your bare hands while they are still in contact with the source.
• Do not use a wet or metal object to move them, and do not stand in water or on a damp floor.
• Do not approach a high-voltage source or a downed line to reach someone.
• Do not move the person after the power is off unless they are in immediate danger.
• Do not apply ice, butter, ointments, fluffy cotton dressings or sticking plasters to a burn.
• Do not break blisters or pull away dead skin.
• Do not use a blanket or towel to cover burns, because loose fibres stick to them.
• Do not assume a person is fine because the burn looks small. Damage can be internal.

When to get emergency help

Anyone injured by electricity should be seen by a doctor. call Rescue 1122 where available, or go to the nearest hospital emergency department. Call urgently if the person has severe burns, confusion, difficulty breathing, a heart rhythm problem, cardiac arrest, muscle pain and contractions, seizures or loss of consciousness. The same applies after any high-voltage or lightning injury, and for any shock in a pregnant woman, a baby or a young child.

Preventing shocks at home

Follow the manufacturer's safety instructions for appliances. Keep electrical items away from water, and do not use them while wet or in the shower. Never touch an appliance while also touching a water pipe. Keep cords out of the reach of small children, fit safety plugs or covers on sockets, and teach older children why electricity is dangerous.