The Electrical Safety Foundation International has designatedMay National Electrical Safety Month. Although some data suggestthat electrical safety awareness is on the rise, most deaths andinjuries caused by electrical hazards are preventable, thefoundation noted.

Approximately three people die each day in residentialelectrical-related fires and accidental electrocutions in the home,according to statistics from the U.S. Consumer Product SafetyCommission. Between 1994 and 1998, an annual average of 165,380electrical-related home structure fires accounted for an annualaverage of 910 deaths, approximately 7,000 injuries, and nearly$1.7 billion in property damage.

Electrical hazards also are present in the work place. In 2001,285 people were electrocuted on the job, Occupational Safety andHealth Administration data show. In addition to the tremendouscosts associated with health insurance and workers' compensationclaims, millions of dollars are lost in corporate and personalproductivity, ESFI noted.