Incidence

In 2015, 36 fatal electrical injuries occurred in Germany according to the Federal Statistical Office. There were eight fatal occupational electrical injuries and 28 fatal electrical injuries at home and during leisure time (ICD-10 (2008): accidents W85, W86 and W87). Two people were fatally injured by lightning strikes in Germany in 2015 (ICD-10 (2008): T75). In the following figure the number of fatal electrical injuries in Germany is given for the time period 1985 to 2015 according to the Federal Statistical Office. It is clearly visible that the number of fatal electrical injuries has decreased notably during the past decades. This may be as a result of improved protection against electrical injuries, for example by introduction of earth leakage circuit breakers and additional prevention measures.The number of non-fatal electrical injuries in Germany is unknown because there is no central registry for electrical injuries.

Fatal electrical injuries in the population of Germany according to the Federal Statistical Office between 1985 - 2015 (figure by BG ETEM (in German)).

In Germany, occupational electrical injuries are reported to the German Social Accident Insurance Institution for the Energy, Textile, Electrical, and Media Products Sectors (BG ETEM). According to the accident statistic a total of 3,361 occupational electrical injuries were registered in 2015, of which 773 were notifiable (notifiable means that the worker is unable to work for more than three days). Seven workers died as consequence of electrical injuries. In the following figure, the number of fatal occupational electrical injuries reported to the BG ETEM is given in the time period 1985 to 2015.

Fatal occupational electrical injuries reported to the BG ETEM between 1985 - 2015 (in German).

In the USA, 2,498 fatal occupational electrical injuries were reported to the Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI, an organization for promotion of electrical safety at home and in the workplace) between the time period 2003 to 2015. The percentage of fatal electrical injuries to all fatal occupational injuries was 3.8 % during the same time period.