Australian Government – Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
Electrical injuries: hospitalisations and deaths 2014–15 and 2015–16
This report provides an overview of cases admitted to hospital with an electrical injury or a fatal electrical injury in Australia between 1 July 2014 and 30 June 2016.
Males | Females | Total | |
Total Hospitalised through Electrical Burns over 2 years | 211 | 59 | 270 |
Hospitalised through Electrical Burns over 1 year | 105 | 30 | 135 |
Part of Body Burnt
Males | Females | Total | |
Burn of head and neck | 13 | 1.5 | 14.5 |
Burn of trunk | 4 | 1.5 | 5.5 |
Burn of shoulder and upper limb, except wrist and hand | 7 | 0.5 | 7.5 |
Burn of wrist and hand | 71 | 23 | 94 |
Burn of hip and lower limb, except ankle and foot | 3 | 1 | 4 |
Burn of ankle and foot | 6.5 | 2 | 8.5 |
Burn of eye and adnexa | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Totals | 105 | 30 | 135 |
Injured While Working 70%
Males | Females | Total | |
Total work-related electrical burn injuries per year | 73 | 21 | 94 |
Deductions from the above electrical burn statistics
Although the above figures do not mention arc flash, a great majority of the burns would have happened due to an arc flash. Even taking 50% of the figure electrical burn hospitalisations would put 47 people in hospital each year through arc flash burns.