Electrocution
Electrocution refers to death caused by electric shock, occurring when the human body acts as a conductor in an electrical circuit, allowing a lethal amount of electricity to flow through it. This phenomenon is typically accidental, with approximately one thousand cases reported annually in the United States, particularly in high-risk industries such as construction and manufacturing, as well as in domestic settings. The term "electrocution" was coined in 1889, combining "electric" and "execute," originally describing a method of capital punishment using an electric chair, which was believed to be more humane than hanging.
Electrocution can disrupt the heart's natural electrical activity, leading to cardiac arrest, while also potentially causing severe burns, nerve damage, and muscle spasms. Electric shocks to the head and chest are particularly dangerous, often resulting in serious injuries or death. Safety precautions are essential to prevent electrocution, such as avoiding electric devices near water, staying clear of downed wires, and ensuring children are supervised around electrical hazards. Understanding the risks associated with electricity can help mitigate the dangers and protect individuals from electrocution.
Electrocution
Electrocution is death by electric shock. For humans, electrocution occurs when the body becomes the conductor in an active electrical circuit, and a lethal amount of electricity travels through the body. In the United States, most electrocutions are accidental. From the 1880s to the 1970s, electrocution was a common form of capital punishment (the death penalty).
Overview
Electrocution is impossible without electricity. Electricity is the flow of particles called electrons through a conductor. This flow is an electric current. A force called voltage, which comes from the source of electrical energy, drives the current. Voltage pushes electrons through the conductor. A circuit is the pathway that an electric current follows. When a person's body interrupts the normal pathway of an electrical circuit, it becomes the conductor in the circuit. As a result, electricity flows through the body. The sensation people feel when this occurs is called an electric shock. Electrocution is an intense electric shock that results in death.
The word electrocute first appeared in 1889. It is a combination of electric and execute. At the time, it was used to describe a new method for executing prisoners that involved strapping them to a chair and jolting them with electricity until they died. The belief was that electrocution was more humane than hanging. Use of the electric chair continued into the 1970s, when many states switched to lethal injection. Today the word electrocution refers to any death that results from electric shock. The main difference between being electrocuted and being shocked is that people survive being shocked.
Electrocution causes death in a few ways. The sudden introduction of electricity to the body can disrupt the natural electrical activity of the heart. This disruption can lead to an irregular heartbeat followed by cardiac arrest (stopped heart) and death. Electrocution may heat body tissues and damage cell membranes, causing burns. In some cases, electrocution causes nerve damage and blood-vessel clotting. Electrocution may result in violent muscle spasms that can break bones. Such spasms also can cause falls that lead to other injuries. Electric shocks to the head and chest region are often more fatal than shocks to other regions of the body. Shocks to the head can cause brain injuries and seizures. Shocks to the chest can cause irregular heartbeats, damage the heart, and impair lung function.
About one thousand electrocutions occur in the United States each year. Most are accidental and occur on job sites. Electrocutions are especially prevalent in industries such as construction, transportation, public utilities, and manufacturing. Accidental electrocutions can occur at home. In 2017, for example, a teenage girl in Texas died when she reached for her cell phone—which was plugged into an electrical outlet to charge—from the bathtub. People may be electrocuted if they get too close to downed electrical wires. During electrical storms, lightning can strike a person and electrocute him or her. Some electrocutions (i.e., suicides) are intentional.
Electrocution can be avoided through caution and common sense. During electrical storms, people should seek shelter. They should never use electric devices near water or work with electricity while standing in water. They should not attempt to climb electrical towers. Children should not be permitted to play near transformer systems. Both adults and children should take care to avoid electrified train rails.
Bibliography
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