Electricity is an element in people’s lives that can never be eliminated. See, it provides you with the ability to sustain the modern way of life you’re used to living. Without electricity, life would never be the same. However, given all benefits and advantages that it provides, it also poses a wide range of dangers and harm for people and the environment. Faulty electrical wires and devices can bring about a wide array of harmful effects including electrical burns. Unfortunately, this is a very common and dangerous occurrence. Depending on the exposure and strength of the electricity that hits an individual, it can prove to be very dangerous. In fact, it is the most common and one of the most serious injuries caused by electricity next to electrocution. This is the reason why everyone should have an idea on general electrical burn safety.
Electrical burns may appear to be minor at first. This would cause anyone to think that the injury is not dangerous or serious. However, tissues deeper beneath the skin may prove to have been damaged. When not treated immediately and properly, this could even result to amputation of the damaged body parts. An electrical burn is usually at its severest in the contact points: the source, which is the head or hands, and the ground, which is often the feet. The length of exposure and contact with the electrical source that caused the burn generally determines the extent of damage and injury.
Electrical burns can be classified into six categories:
* Oral burns. These commonly occur and happen to children. This is caused by biting or sucking electrical cords and other electrical fixtures that were not secured properly. Electrical current typically crosses from one side of the child’s mouth to the other. Depending on the exposure, deformity may be the most severe damage and result of this type of electrical burn.
* Low-voltage burns. Low-voltage burns are caused by short contact with the electrical source. The burn could range from mild or superficial to severe.
* Flame burns. Electrical burns of this type are caused by contact to things that were set in flame as a result to electrical fires such as clothing.
* Flash burns. Flash burns are caused by electrical arcs that pass over the skin. Although the burns in the skin are largely superficial and cover a large area, tissues beneath the skin are generally undamaged and unaffected.
* Arc burns. This type of burn occurs when an electrical energy passes from a high-resistance area to a low-resistance area. Arc burns do not occur at low voltage areas. Burn wounds may be visible at both the contact and ground points. Flash and flame burns might also be visible. Burn wounds of different levels of severity may be present.
* High voltage electrical burns. Typically, contact burns where the source touched and ground burns where the individual was grounded could be observed in this type of electrical burn. Normally, the outside burn does not indicate the condition beneath the skin well. Normally, tissues beneath the skin are severely damaged even if the surface appears to have incurred very minimal damage.