Mother Nature’s Workplace Hazards Can Include Being Struck By Lightning
They say lightning never strikes twice, but if you’re struck by lightning on the job, it only takes that one time to change your life forever. That is why today, on the last day of Lightning Safety Awareness Week, we want to remind you of potential dangers you face on the job and how you can avoid a lightning accident.
What Types of Workers Are More Likely to Be Struck By Lightning?
In theory, anyone in any occupation could be struck by lightning if they are in the wrong place at the wrong time. However, there are certainly specific occupations that could place someone in a higher risk category for a lightning strike, especially if they work outside. You may be at a greater risk for being struck by lightning if your work involves:
- Construction
- Oil and gas fields
- Logging
- Farming or field labor
- Power utility field repair
- Heavy equipment operation
- Telecommunications field repair
- Explosive handling or storage
- Plumbing
If your job has you working outside regularly and you hear thunder, that means you need to seek shelter immediately in a building or a hard-topped metal vehicle. You may not see lightning yet, but the thunder signals that the lightning isn’t far behind; take the thunder as your warning sign.
The National Weather Service recommends that you also know what equipment and objects to stay away from during a storm:
- Stay away from all large equipment like cranes, tractors, bulldozers and other heavy machinery.
- Do not touch anything that conducts electricity, like metal, water, plumbing, or utility lines.
- Get down to ground level and stay off ladders, utility poles, and scaffolding.
- If you’re near an area that contains explosive material, get out of there as quickly as possible. You may think you’re safe from a lightning strike, but if the lightning strikes the explosive material, all of the other safety precautions you have taken will not matter.
Injured at Work? Contact Our Work Accident Law Firm
Sustaining a serious injury on the job can cause overwhelming stress. Let Attorney Steve Lee help you obtain the compensation you deserve during this difficult time.
If you know someone who works in an occupation that has them outside some or most of the time, please share this article with them! You may play a key role in keeping them safe from being injured by lightning on the job.