The Occupational Safety and Health Administration lists electrical hazards as one of the top four causes of construction fatalities. A Pennsylvania man working on a State College mixed-use development was burned when the equipment he was operating hit an electrical line.

The 56-year-old Penfield man was flown to a Pittsburgh hospital. Officials were unable to describe the severity of his injuries at the time of the Centre Daily Times report.

The construction worker was pouring cement on the second floor of the 13-story Fraser Centre downtown when the accident occurred. The call to 9-1-1 stated that the injured worker was breathing though unresponsive. However, when an emergency crew arrived, the worker was conscious and alert.

Although a Fire Department spokesperson described the incident to the newspaper as an "electrocution," the worker survived. OSHA says "electrocution is fatal…electrocution results when a human is exposed to a lethal amount of electrical energy."

OSHA also notes that an arc flash is a "sudden release of electrical energy" that can cause severe burns. High-voltage arc flash temperatures as high as 35,000º degrees F have been recorded. (Note: the surface of the sun is about 10,000º F, according to Discovery.com.)

Pennsylvania construction workers know that far too often, jobsite accidents occur because companies are more interested in protecting their bottom lines than their employees. At Dallas W. Hartman, P.C., we focus on protecting the working men and women of Western Pennsylvania and Eastern Ohio. Please see our Construction Accident Injury Attorneys page for more information.