Passage of an electric current through a living organism releases a certain amount of energy which may have two effects: a transient change in the physiology of an organ or of the entire body translated either by a reaction of inhibition or by excitation; heating, the extent of which is denned by Joule's law.

Three clinical situations arise as a result of the first process: inhibition, an acute and transient event, commonly referred to as ‘electrical shock’; respiratory arrest; and especially, circulatory arrest, usually related to ventricular fibrillation which is the basic cause of immediate fatalities.

Electrical burns are the result of the second process, and their topography, extent and later consequences are related to the pathway of the electric current through the body and to the parameters in Joule's equation: voltage, intensity and the duration of passage of the current.

Electrical accidents observed at Electricité de France, the national electric company which is virtually the sole producer, transporter and distributer of electricity in France have been the object of continuous study by the Committee on Medical Studies of EDF for almost 40 years. Its statistical and clinical results have been published in many papers.

The latest statistical analysis involved a ten-year period and 1231 accidents, representing an average of 125 accidents per year in a total workforce of some 120000 employees.

As in previous studies, the present study was made possible solely through a collaborative effort by all of the medical departments of EDF: on the one hand, with the Department of Occupational Safety and on the other hand, with the Department of Medical Assessment which provided the majority of medical information.