A 32-year-old contractor at Carleton fell from a ladder after receiving an electric shock while working on a light fixture at 10:45 a.m. Aug. 5, according to Ottawa paramedics.
The electrical contractor was working on top of a ladder in the Carleton Technology and Training Centre where he pulled on a live wire, said JP Trottier, the public information officer with the Ottawa paramedic service.
The worker fell off the ladder and suffered from an electrical burn and a serious laceration to one hand, but did not receive any major injuries from the fall, Trottier said.
The male contractor was not a university employee and did not lose consciousness, according to Brian Billings, assistant director of Carleton’s department of safety. He was treated at the scene by health services and then later taken by paramedics to a local hospital.
“It is currently being investigated by environmental health and safety at the university, as well as the contracting company and the Ministry of Labour,” Billings said.
The contractor’s injuries are believed to be non-life threatening and he is in stable condition, Trottier said. It is still to early to say how long the contractor’s recovery will take, he added.
An electrical burn is different than a burn received from a fire or another heat source, Trottier said. While burns from heat are usually worse on the surface, electrical burns often damage tissues and nerves deep where the shock is received.
“It’s really dependent on the source,” Trottier said. “With a heat source, we can see exactly where the damage is. But with an electrical source, there could be damage inside, which is worse.”
“It was serious jolt he received,” he added.
Billings said it is still too early to comment on what action Carleton will take as the investigation is still in its early stages.
“There are already some pretty solid guidelines in respect to work that takes place on campus,” he said. “I’m certain that those will be reviewed.”
