Course leader presentation: Bo Veiersted and Lars Ole Goffeng

Electrical Injury: Prevention, exposure, pathology, clinical aspects, treatment and follow-up
18th – 20th of April 2023
STAMI – The National Institute of Occupational Health, Oslo, Norway

What is your background?

We have been working with health effects from, and prevention of, electrical accidents since the beginning of the 1990s. Bo as an MD with a PhD focusing on physical (mechanical) exposure and musculoskeletal disorders and pain, and Lars as a neuropsychologist with a PhD in occupational medicine focusing on nervous system effects from chemical exposure.

Our work with electricians has involved close cooperation with the health services as well as the supervisory authorities, the social partners, i.e. the employer’s and employee’s organi­zations, and various companies in the electrical industry, both in production, distribution, and installation.

The work has included health effects after electrical accidents, and accident prevention strategies, both organizational, psychosocial, and behavioral, through information, education, and interventions, besides research on health effects after electrical injuries.

Why do you think electrical injury is an important issue to discuss in 2023?

Modern society is increasingly dependent on electricity; At home, in transport, communicat­ion, in all forms of industries – everywhere! Electricity is a clean, efficient, invisible, yet ubiquitous energy source, that must be accessible continuously. As a consequence, elec­tricians more often do repair or maintenance work under complicated or challenging working con­ditions, to ensure and maintain stable supply of and access to electricity.

As working conditions become more challenging, it is crucial to acquire knowledge of how accidents involving electricity can be prevented.

When electrical accidents occur, they may pass with no or minor health effects, but may also lead to severe injury or death. It is of profound importance to gain an understanding and knowledge about electricity as an exposure source, and of health effects resulting from such exposure. It is equally important to be familiar with acute treatment and health follow-up after electrical accidents.

We will approach all these aspects of accident prevention strategies and the most recent development in medical treatment and follow-up after electrical accidents at the course.

What would you like to say to the participants of the course?

We strongly recommend this course, which aims at being a meeting place and an arena for exchange of ideas and informat­ion, where researchers and clinicians as well as employers and employees in the electrical industry share experiences and the most recent development of knowledge in accident prevention strategies and health follow-up when accidents occur.

More information: Course web page
Registration: Course registration
Last registration date: 1st of March 2023