I had an inquiry today from someone looking for input (for an upcoming Article) about electrical work's toll on the body. I offered to post the question here because the input and advice gathered could serve to help others in, or just getting started in the Industry/Trade.

Can you help by identifying some of the painful motions/activities/jobs that you all perform (or have performed) in your day-to-day electrical work? An area of focus for the Article will be to examine the ways contractors, VDV installers, and maintenance professionals can protect themselves and cope with these problems.

Bill

The most problem prone areas are the back, knees and repetitive motion injuries to the wrists and hands.

We usually have back problems because of improper lifting or pulling. Knee problems from crawling. Repetitive motion injuries from using pliers, cutters, screwdrivers and instaling wire nuts. VDV people also face problems from using punch down tools.

-Hal

I second what hbiss just said. Especially I want to emphasize that young electricians should stay off their knees as much as possible, especially on hard surfaces like concrete. Balancing the full weight of your body on open floor joists while in a crawlspace will also take its toll. If yu must bear weight on your knees, use knee pads. There's also nothing wrong with making up splices or installing receptacles while sitting on a stool or spackle bucket. The reason I say "young" electricians is that when you're young you never envision future problems. Once you're older you'll wish you had done things differently.

Last year we did work for 2 different electricians that were disabled from falls. One was an outdoor utility person the other was an indoor comercial. Both the falls were said to be under 6'. One is paralized waist down. The other had some back surgeries and has phyiscal and mental problems now.

Tom

A few years ago, when I first started working for an established shop, I started to develop shooting pains in my right wrist when tightening wire nuts and box covers.

Discovered that teh motion was the same one I used when linking metal rings to make chain mail... a hobby I had recently re-discovered.

Upon the discovery of my "pre carpal tunnel" symptoms, I decided that hobbies were fun, but I should save the twist for the cash activities.

My compensating mechanisms? One of the Idea wire-nut tightening screwdrivers works wonders. In addition, using my cordless whenever possible.

+1 (2, actually) for the knees and kneepad issues.

How about the myriad small cuts on your hands from working with stamped metal (feeding wire into boxes, discovering the edges of can lights, unfinished conduit ends, etc.

Shoulder difficulties from long term work over the head.

(Heck, if everybody on the board offered one achy spot, it's add up to a whole bottle of aspirin!)

Lower back problems seem to haunt my company. In 03' I had two blown disc and one torn. The spine surgeon said I had the back of a 60 year old man... not good when you're 35. I went under the knife and came out with good results. That meaning I was able to return to work but have never regained entire strength nor feeling in my left leg.

My workers have been plagued with the same problems but none have had to have surgery. But flair ups happen all the time on the job and their time will come too.

And you may ask what was my doctors advice.. quit bending over and dont pick up anything heavy. Easier said than done in this trade.

Invest in one of those Black and Decker "Pivot Screwdrivers". They have a clutch, small light that aims at screwdriver head area. It is better than toting around a cordless.

Stress!

Deadlines beyond unrealistic....

I'd agree with Hal personally.
Electrical work as it is, is a very manual occupation, this can open up all sorts of problems with the body.
I have a mate who is an Electrician who is going to get the Varicose veins removed from his legs, caused by standing up at panels, this is the bulk of his work.
Good points about the effects of using screwdrivers on the wrists, a lot of people would not realise just how much energy it takes to use a screwdriver, especially where you have to drive a screw with a long fine thread (Switch screws come to mind).
From the viewpoint of a Lineman, the most concerning thing for us is Melanoma from working out in the sun.
Not proven, but EMF damage to the body is a constant worry working around any sort of voltage.
Most of the problems I've had as an Electrician is damage and inflammation of my knees from working up in roof spaces.
Or as I hate to admit, banging my head on bits of timber up in the said roof space.

It made me lose most of my hair and the rest turn grey ... or maybe it was the wife that did that.

I believe my hands, wrists and forearms have taken a beating over the years. Carpel tunnel sucks. I have found one thing that helps and thats a chiropractor trained in Active Release technique. Its really helped me and I'll bet it would help anyone else with similar problems. Make sure the Chiro is ART certified. A google search will help with more info.

A 5/16 chucked into a cordless will tighten tan Ideal twisters most of the way
, it helps

Most painful part for me is driving to the work site in the morning and seeing the sun coming up over the tee box.

Knowing that I can't play today.

(sigh)


Dnk..

Don't forget the "dust mask" when in attics. The insulation can be hard on the lungs, especially blown rock wool insulation. Steve..

How about hearing problems? I think I saw someone mention that at one time or another. Does anyone have anything to share on that?

Bill

What

I'll second most of the previous posts, but the worst pain I have is the feeling of electricity shooting up my arm when I forget to turn the breaker off. Electricity still scares the hell out of me after all these years.

Safety first, last and always.

Dave

As an electrical contractor, I always seem to get severe pains in the neck, rear end, and right hand always around April 15.

That actually spurred my desire to use more PPE. After working construction for only a year, I had noticable hearing loss and I wasn't even in my 20's. Now I carry ear-plugs in a vial on my key-chain. Any sound loud enough to cause even mild discomfort, and those plugs go in my ears.

And I've seen enough older guys with stooped backs and creaking knees to invest in a good set of knee-pads and to always be sure I lift with my legs.

-John

[This message has been edited by BigJohn (edited 04-08-2005).]

Pains ? Back , knees, elbows, wrists . My biggest Pain anymore ? The drive Home in the evenings - I swear 1/2 the people in Maryland forgot how to drive !( or at least what a turn signal is) As far as stress from deadlines - don't have any - can't hear anymore so I can't hear when the deadlines are .

Before electrical, I had an employer that provided us with molded earplugs. I really like them. They are vented/valved type. I wear them almost all day.

I'm 4 years into the trade, and our hearing testing rep. said my results indicate that I do a great job with hearing protection.

My back is the one body part that I really need to look out for. I packed a toolbelt for the first three years. What started as lower back ache, turned into shooting mid-back pain - after first using an elastic back support, and then toolbelt suspenders.

I now use one of those canvas tool totes. Any tools I keep on my person are the 4-5 I can fit in my Carharrts. As a benfit, I've found I'm much more agile on scaffolding, on ladders, or swimming through plenum air spaces.

Print this for the next safety meeting... http://www.dir.ca.gov/dosh/dosh_publications/ElectriciansErgo.pdf

Or this one: http://www.dir.ca.gov/dosh/dosh_publications/HandTools.pdf

There's more here: http://www.dir.ca.gov/dosh/PubOrder.asp

Or, how about shooting yourself accidentally in the leg, while toting an S&W 45 Magnum in your toolbelt when you're working in a 'bad neighborhood'- see connected thread.....

I hope I'm not posting this too late to be of some help to the carpal tunnel sufferers out there, but here goes...

Being a professional guitar player for a number of years, I picked up a really helpful exercise to keep carpal tunnel at bay. The way I understand it, the condition develops when the muscles on one side of a "nerve tube" become stronger than on the other side (specifically when you are performing a repetive motion, such as twisting wire nuts or squeezing a pliers/strippers). This creates pressure on the tube, and in turn the nerve, which is that aching feeling too many of us are familiar with.

Here's what worked for me (and continues to work): On the hand most affected (Right hand for rightys, left for leftys), put all of your fingers together (including your thumb) like your going to make a shadow puppet dog. Now put a rubber band around all the fingers between the top and middle knuckels, then open your hand several times against the pressure of the rubber band. Start with a thin band, then increase the size (and therefor resistance) of the band over a few weeks time. I do this maybe once a day for a few minutes while playing on the computer or watching TV, or when I'm on a long highway drive.

The idea is that you build the muscles opposing the ones you use (and build) during the course of your job.

It worked for me as a guitarist, and it works for me now, even when I'm twisting wire nuts for 10 hours...

Hope this helps someone out there.

Please note: If you already have been diagnosed with CTS, might be a good idea to run this exercise past your doctor and see what he/she thinks before you start.

Good Luck!

You lost me on the shadow-pupet-dog. Can we get a picture of that?

Dave

IMO:

Nearly all "Legacy" Sparkies will complain of Back and/or Knee problems.
It's from the bending, kneeling and the awkward angles encountered when pulling / feeding.

People in their first to third years of Field work will complain of Feet, Legs, Arms and Wrist pains. Eventually they become "use to this" and the problems seem to go away.

When getting into more advanced rolls in the Field / Trade, then additional tolls take place - as mentioned by others in this thread.

Stress increases when taking on Management positions - such as Forepersons, Proj. Mgrs, Superintendents, and such.
This brings on the sleepless nights, the headaches, stomach problems, gray hair, and other fun stuff.

Since my own personal experiences have dealt with all aspects of the trade, I have these ailments:

• Back Pains - from lifting, bending, carrying, etc.,
• Knee Pains - from kneeling and "walking on knees",
• Foot Pains - from walking thousands of miles on the uneven and raunchy surfaces of the typical Construction site, along with working off Ladders for Hours and Hours,
• Short-Term Memory Loss - from getting shocked and/or falling off a Ladder,
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome - from twisting Wirenuts, along with excessive Computer usage and Drawing by hand,
• Deteriorating Eye Sight - from working with HID Lighting, and from the stuff above - which causes Carpal Tunnel Syndrome,
• Stress-Related issues - from doing Foreman, Stupid-visor, P.M., Engineer, Consultant and related tasks too long,
• Gray Hair - from thinking about the above items!
• Short-Term Memory Loss - from getting shocked and/or falling off a Ladder,
• Short-Term Memory Loss - from getting shocked and/or falling off a Ladder,
• Trying to make "Memory Jokes" too many times!

Although these ailments are so very crucial, I would not change the Career path at all!

Scott35

Dave:

My camera seems to be in a bad mood this morning. I'll start a new thread this week when I get a chance to get it working (i.e., buy batteries!).

If this helps, just put all of the tips of your fingers on that hand together, then put the rubber band around them, then open them up like an open tiger claw, then back to the original position. It's a lot less complicated than I'm making it seem.

Hope that helps!