If you live in the northern part of Illinois, chances are you get your electricity through Commonwealth Edison, or ComEd for short. ComEd is the state’s largest electric utility. The company employs a significant number of people and is responsible for their safety while at work.
There are inherent risks when working for an electric company. When working in the field with electrical contacts, even the most careful workers who have been properly trained can experience an accident. Here are some of the common ones:
Electrocution. Both overhead and buried power lines pose a serious safety hazard due to the high voltage they carry. Direct contact to exposed energized conductors or circuit parts can cause death or serious bodily injury.
Falls. Linemen are at risk of falling when working on overhead lines. Equipment malfunctions or even being startled can cause a worker to fall from a ladder or aerial bucket. Fractured bones, concussions, and internal injuries often result from falls.
Electric Shock and Burns. A lineman who sets up power lines, maintains the existing ones, and responds to power outages during natural disasters is at risk for electric shock. Burns are the most common injury from electric shock. Thermal burns, flame burns and contact burns are three serious types that can cause permanent disabilities or even death.
Vehicular Accident. Time not spent working with power lines is often spent in a vehicle driving to and from work sites. Collisions can obviously cause a wide variety of injuries. If you are driving to/from a customer’s location, it’s likely a work comp case even if you are at fault for the accident.
Lifting Injuries. There are a lot of tools required to do the field jobs which often means carrying and/or lifting heavy equipment. We see a lot of back and shoulder injuries.
Slip And Falls. Part of being a field worker means going to new locations on a daily basis. Many of these places are littered with debris or have hidden defects. And in the winter there’s of course a lot of icy properties. So slip or trip and falls can happen and injuries can occur.
If you or someone you know has been seriously injured as an employee for ComEd, we can help. We have helped many workers and would be thrilled to help you. Call us at 312-346-5578 to speak with a lawyer for free.
