October 24, 2025

Electric shock hazards and excavation-related injuries

As a service to our policyholders, Texas Mutual shares serious workplace injury trends based on catastrophic injuries and fatalities reported to our claims department. Not all of these reported injuries are covered by workers’ compensation insurance, but our goal is to help you ensure these types of incidents do not happen in your workplace. Find safety tips below to help keep your employees safe on the job.

If you have questions, we encourage you to contact us at 844-WORKSAFE (967-5723) or safety@texasmutual.com.

In this alert:

• Electric shock hazards
• Excavation-related injuries

Electric shock hazards

In a recent incident involving electric shock, an employee was on the ground retrieving something from a truck when a nearby bucket lift made contact with a live wire. The employee suffered significant burns from the waist down.

This type of accident is often preventable when proper safety steps are taken. Failing to follow established safe work practices puts everyone at risk and can quickly turn a routine task into a serious emergency.

• Always check for overhead power lines before moving equipment.
• Use insulated tools when working near electrical systems.
• Maintain a safe distance from live wires and use spotters when needed.
• Report any damaged electrical equipment or unsafe conditions immediately.
• Never assume a wire is de-energized, and always check before working nearby.

Excavation-related injuries

In one incident, an employee working in a ditch was unable to escape when the ditch wall collapsed, resulting in a tragic loss of life. In another incident, an employee suffered injuries when a trench collapsed while they were inside.

Injuries from excavation collapses are often fatal and can happen without warning. It’s critical to use the right protective systems, complete thorough training and always have a trained person on-site before anyone enters an excavation.

• Never enter an unprotected or uninspected excavation area.
• Make sure a competent person inspects excavations daily.
• Always use the designated means of entering and exiting an excavation.
• Report unsafe trench conditions immediately.

Get free safety resources

Texas Mutual policyholders have access to thousands of free training materials in our multimedia safety resource center, including our safety catalog with up-to-date resources.

To access the free materials, log in to your texasmutual.com account and select Safety. If you need help accessing safety resources or you have a safety question, call us toll-free at 844-WORKSAFE (967-5723).

Download a PDF (1.12 MB) version of the October Safety Alert.