ARLINGTON, Va., March 17, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In 2026, the Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI) collected information on fatal and non-fatal occupational electrical injuries from two key sources. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and the Occupational Safety and Health Association (OSHA) provide raw data that ESFI reviews and analyzes as it is released in order to paint a comprehensive picture about who is being injured on the job site and how. ESFI quantifies, synthesizes, and publishes data from these reports in visual form on its website and shares the findings annually at the IEEE Electrical Safety Workshop. The most recent data set covers the 14 years from 2011 through 2024, including biennial injury data from 2023 and 2024.

“ESFI’s analysis of this data illustrates the occupations most at risk from electrical injury and death and identifies the main causes,” said ESFI Executive Director Jennifer LeFevre. “As leaders in electrical safety, ESFI is the sole organization that compiles and analyzes this data, which is crucial for guiding safety messaging. We encourage everyone to utilize ESFI’s free-to-share resources to elevate the safety of your workplace and prevent avoidable workplace injuries and fatalities.”

Contact with or exposure to electricity continues to be one of the leading causes of workplace fatalities and injuries in the United States. Between 2011 and 2024, there were a total of 2,070 workplace fatalities involving electricity, according to the BLS. During this period, 70% of fatalities occurred in non-electrically related occupations, based on ESFI’s award-winning analysis of thousands of OSHA 170 form reports. The key data points and trends are as follows:

Workplace Fatalities and Injuries Trends: 2011 – 2024 (OSHA)

• 2024 marked the lowest rate of electrical fatalities since 2020, with 0.09 per 100,000 workers. The overall workplace fatality rate across all causes was 3.41 per 100,000 workers in 2024.
• The utility industry had the highest rate of electrical fatalities between 2011 – 2024, with 0.75 fatalities per 100,000 workers; construction had 0.73 fatalities and natural resources and mining had 0.33 fatalities.
• 70% of workplace electrical fatalities occurred in non-electrical occupations.
• The construction industry had the highest number of electrical fatalities.
• Latino workers have a disproportionately high rate of electrical fatalities in the workplace.
• Tree trimming occupations and heavy truck drivers are two occupations with an increasing rate of electrical fatalities.

Most Common Causes of Electrical Fatalities (OSHA)

• Overhead power line contact: 49%
• Unexpected contact with electricity: 20%
• Accidental contact with nearby energized equipment: 12%
• Working on energized equipment or parts: 4%
• Ground-faults: 4%
• Arc-flash: 2%

Workplace Electrical Injuries, 2023-2024 (BLS)

• There were 5,180 non-fatal electrical injuries resulting in days away from work in the two-year period between 2023 and the end of 2024, a rate of 0.20 injuries per 100,000 workers.
• 62% of electrical injuries occurred to workers who had worked at their current employer for more than one year.
• The median number of days away from work due to electrical injury was 10 days.
  

“Most of the electrical fatalities that occurred in the workplace were from accidental contact with overhead power lines,” said Daniel Majano, ESFI Program Director, who compiled the data. “It is important to always be aware of your surroundings when at a job site.” Majano added, “Also always know when to say when and make sure you’re trained and aware of any electrical hazards. Over 70% of the workplace electrical fatalities that occurred between 2011 and 2024 were in non-electrical occupations that may not have received electrical safety training.”

ABOUT ESFI

The Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI) is the trusted voice for electrical safety. The mission of ESFI is to prevent electrically related injuries, deaths, and fires. ESFI’s work saves lives and property through public education and outreach. For free safety materials that you can share throughout your community, visit esfi.org.

Contact:
Evan Jones
Electrical Safety Foundation International
703.841.3247
evan.jones@esfi.org

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/27529417-a047-4f4f-93f2-9ffd90a02e74