Electrical Incidents in Alberta for 2023

April 26, 2024

Regulations under the Safety Codes Act require that all electrical accidents and power line contacts be reported. This annual report by Municipal Affairs compiles a summary of incidents reported during the calendar year. Organizations in the electrical industry may wish to use this information for promoting public awareness of electrical safety risks.

Incident reporting forms and statistical reports from previous years can be found online at: alberta.ca/electricalstandata.aspx. Information in this report is provided by industry.

Any change in wording from the reports received is done for clarification of the incident and to also protect the identity of the individuals involved.

Incidents reported

A total of 2,018 incidents were reported in 2023 involving:

• Overhead power lines;
• Underground power lines; and
• Other types of electrical installations or equipment.

Non-fatal injuries

• A power lineman was performing a task on a transformer pole, the worker raised his arm while working and his screwdriver accidentally hit the powerline.
• A worker cut into a pipe with live cables, the worker was exposed to an arc flash, and received burns.
• A worker was leveling concrete when the float pole contacted the powerline resulting in an arc flash injuring to the worker.
• A worker received a minor electric shock while working at a power substation.
• A worker received an electric shock when they touched the positive and negative conductors on a combiner box at the same time.
• A power lineman was performing maintenance on a powerline when they received an electric shock.
• While tree trimming, a tree branch unexpectedly fell opposite of a worker, striking a powerline and the worker’s right arm, the worker received an electric shock.
• A worker was using a tool that detects anomalies using electricity, the worker received an electrical shock when setting up the equipment.
• A student was testing voltage when they received an electric shock in their hand.
• A worker received an electric shocked while moving a temporary cable that had been damaged.
• A worker was testing a controller when they received an electric shock.
• An operator went to open a hatch above a motor, when they touched the motor, they received an electrical shock.
• A student accidentally touched the metal of the two conductors and received an electrical shock.
• When a student was disconnecting lab equipment, they received an electric shock.
• A worker received an electric shock from equipment in a wind turbine that was wired improperly.

Fatalities

• A worker was dumping gravel when their bucket contacted a powerline and was fatally injured.
• A worker was using a pressure washer they received an electric shock and was fatally injured.

You can find the full report HERE