Why is water so dangerous around electricity?

Water lowers skin resistance and provides a conductive path to ground, so a shock that might be survivable when dry can become lethal. GFCI protection is essential wherever moisture is present.

What is 'can't let go' current?

At currents around 10-20 mA, involuntary muscle contraction can prevent a worker from releasing an energized part, prolonging contact and greatly increasing the chance of a fatal shock.

What are the OSHA penalties for electrical shock hazards?

A serious violation can cost over $16,000, and willful or repeat violations can exceed $165,000 per instance. Electrocution is part of OSHA's Fatal Four and draws intensive enforcement.

How accurate is OSHA Scan at detecting shock hazards?

OSHA Scan flags shock hazards. It identifies exposed conductors, damaged cords, and missing GFCI, returning the location and OSHA citation.

OSHA Scan

It Only Takes 50 Milliamps to Stop a Heart

Catch the live contact hazard before it reaches your crew

Electrical shock doesn't need high voltage to kill — a current well below what powers a light bulb can stop a heart or freeze muscles so a worker can't let go. Exposed conductors, damaged cords, missing GFCI protection, and contact with live parts injure and kill workers every year. OSHA Scan analyzes job-site photos to flag exposed energized parts, missing ground-fault protection, and shock hazards before anyone makes contact.

Electrical shock exposure is any situation where a worker can complete a circuit through their body — by contacting an energized conductor, a faulted tool or appliance, or an energized surface while grounded. The severity depends on current, path through the body, and duration, and even low-voltage systems can be lethal under the right conditions.
On site the hazard shows up as damaged extension cords with exposed copper, missing ground pins, receptacles without GFCI protection in wet or outdoor areas, open junction boxes and panels, temporary wiring run through doorways or standing water, and tools with cracked housings. Contact with overhead or buried lines and working on assumed-dead circuits that are still live are frequent killers.
The trap is that electricity is invisible and gives no warning — a cord or panel looks the same whether it is safe or lethal. A worker can grab an energized part and be unable to release it as muscles clamp down. That is why a photo-based check that flags exposed conductors and missing GFCI before work begins prevents so many electrocutions.

How much current is dangerous to a person?

Very little. Around 10 mA can cause a worker to lose muscle control and be unable to let go, and roughly 50 mA through the chest can cause cardiac arrest. Even low-voltage systems can deliver lethal current.

What is GFCI protection and when is it required?

A ground-fault circuit interrupter senses current leaking to ground and cuts power in milliseconds. OSHA requires GFCI protection on temporary construction power and in wet or outdoor locations (29 CFR 1926.404).

Why can't I just assume a circuit is dead?

Circuits are often mislabeled, back-fed, or energized by another source. OSHA requires testing to verify a circuit is de-energized and applying lockout/tagout before working on it — never assume it is dead.

What makes damaged extension cords so dangerous?

A split jacket or missing ground pin can energize the cord's exposed conductors or leave a faulted tool ungrounded, so a worker contacting it completes a circuit to ground. Damaged cords must be removed from service.