Safety Awareness Dispatch
SA 26-03 Electrical Mishaps
A ‘shocking’ number of electrical mishaps are reported every year. A review of the rough data shows there were about five incidents reported every week on average over the last three years (communities combined). Despite established safety procedures and periodic training requirements, the regularity in which incidents are reported highlights the ever-present risks associated with electrical equipment and reinforces the need for mitigation strategies to prevent electrical shock injuries and fatalities. The mishap examples below differ in circumstance but share common themes including, lapses in proper electrical handling procedures, failure to verify the state of electrical components before work and inadequate follow-through on safety checks. This dispatch discusses factors that contributed to mishaps and underscores lessons needed to strengthen electrical safety practices.
| Published: | June 2, 2026 |
The Safety Awareness team creates concise, readable (and sometimes funny) safety lessons to help Sailors, Marines and civilian employees (and their families) avoid repeating a mishap. Our goal is to make people think! We do our best to tell a story that people will remember – that they’ll recall when going through their normal day – that empowers them to identify hazards, accept “ownership” and responsibility for those hazards (in their community, command, and home), and take action.
