According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, for the last decade, electrical injury has been responsible for an average of 320 deaths and over 4,000 injuries involving days away from work annually in the United States. It is the second leading cause of fatality in construction industry, and it consistently makes 5 to 6% of all occupational fatalities. Out of injuries caused by contact with overhead powerlines, 26.4 to 60.3 percent of cases resulted in over 31 days away from work (versus 18 to 20% for all other occupational injury and illness).

Electrical injuries are very costly, not only for the victims and their families but for the employers and the society in general. In a study by Dr. Ronald Wyzga of the Electric Power Research Institute, Palo Alto, California, electrical injuries cost to employers has been approximated as $15.75 million per case in direct and indirect costs.