NFPA Journal - Winter 2022 - 81

KEY FINDINGS
Nearly all (99%) of workers who were
fatally injured through exposure to
electricity were male.
One-third (33%) of the victims were 25
to 34 years of age and one-fifth (21%)
were 35 to 44 years old. In 2020, 17%
of victims were 55 to 64 years old, up
from 13% in 2019. Nine of the fatally
injured workers (7% of total) were 18 or
19 years old.
Nearly three in five injuries (56%)
were caused by direct exposure to electricity,
defined as injuries caused by
direct contact with the power source,
such as direct contact with a live
electrical wire or when the victim is
struck by an electrical arc. Two in five
fatal injuries resulted from indirect
exposure to electricity, which includes
incidents involving contact with
electrical energy through some form
of conductive material, as when electricity
is conducted through water or
when a ladder touches a power line.
More than two in five (44%) of the
fatal injury victims worked in construction
and extraction occupations, and
one-fifth (20%) worked in installation,
maintenance, and repair occupations.
A number of victims worked in occupations
not necessarily associated with
electrical hazards and that may not
provide training in electrical safety,
such as building and grounds cleaning
and maintenance occupations (13%),
transportation and material moving
occupations (6%), and farming, forestry,
and fishing occupations (3%).
Approximately four in five victims
(82%) were wage and salary workers,
but the share of victims who were
self-employed (18%) was up slightly
from 2019, when the figure was 15%.
One-third (33%) of the fatal electrical
injuries occurred at private residences,
while another 31% took place at
industrial sites. Other injury locations
included streets or highways (14%),
public buildings (8%), and farms (7%).
The vast majority (64%) of the workers
fatally injured were constructing,
REPORT SUMMARY
Home Fires Caused by
Electrical Distribution and
Lighting Equipment
By Richard Campbell
D
uring the period 2015-2019, an estimated annual average of
32,620 home fires were caused by electrical distribution and lighting
equipment. These fires accounted for 430 civilian deaths, 1,070
civilian injuries, and an estimated $1.5 billion in direct property
damage each year.
These are some of the findings in a new NFPA report, " Home Fires Caused by
Electrical Distribution and Lighting Equipment. " The data in the report are estimates
derived from the US Fire Administration's National Fire Incident Reporting
System (NFIRS) and NFPA's annual survey of US fire departments. Fires reported to
federal or state fire departments or industrial fire brigades are not included in these
estimates. Only civilian (nonfirefighter) casualties are discussed in the analysis.
KEY FINDINGS
Wiring and related equipment
accounted for just over two-thirds (68%)
of the home fires caused by electrical
distribution and lighting equipment.
These fires were also responsible for
60% of the direct property damage, as
well as two in five (42%) of the civilian
deaths and over half (53%) of the injuries.
Faulty wiring in concealed spaces,
such as attics or areas behind walls, is
particularly dangerous because it can
start fires that burn for a prolonged
period before detection.
The peak months for home fires
involving electrical distribution or
lighting equipment were December,
January, February, and March (40% of
the total). These fires also accounted
for 45% of the civilian deaths, likely
because people are usually in the
home and using electrical equipment
during the cold-weather months.
Another 24% of the fires occurred
from May through July, but those
fires accounted for only 19% of the
civilian deaths.
Of the fires involving electrical distribution
and lighting equipment in
2015-2019, 23% occurred between
midnight and 8 a.m., but these fires
accounted for just over half (52%) of
the deaths, likely a result of people
being home and asleep at those times.
Home fires involving electrical distribution
and lighting equipment most
NFPA .ORG/JOURNAL * NFPA JOURNAL | 81
repairing, or cleaning when they came in
contact with electricity. A little more than
one-fifth of the workers (22%) were using
or operating tools or machinery at the
time of injury, while 8% were engaged in
materials handling operations.
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NFPA Journal - Winter 2022

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