المملكة: 7,189 electrocution cases in Saudi Arabia within a year…and Al Sharqiyah is in third place

He said: Electric shock does not differentiate between old and young, but children are the most common category. They are vulnerable to danger due to their natural curiosity and their lack of awareness of the danger of electricity, explaining that a simple touch to an exposed electrical source may lead to severe muscle spasms or the cessation of breathing or the heart, while adults may be exposed to deep burns or permanent injuries as a result of the intensity of the current or the long period of exposure to it.

He added that most of these accidents can be avoided with simple steps, such as using electrical socket covers and monitoring children. Closely, he noted that exposed wires represent one of the most common causes of electrical accidents, as they may lead to direct contact with electrical current or to the ignition of fires when they come into contact with flammable materials.

He explained that negligence in maintenance or trying to repair faults in primitive ways could turn a simple defect into a real disaster, calling for the use of certified technicians to carry out maintenance and extension work.

He warned of the danger of having exposed wires in homes, streets and residential neighborhoods, especially during the rainy season, when water mixes with electricity and turns the place into a trap. Lethal electrocution, stressing the importance of immediately reporting any source of danger to avoid accidents.

First Aid

Dr. Al-Sharif stressed that reducing electrocution rates requires intensifying preventive awareness programs in areas with high population density, indicating the possibility of implementing this through schools, neighborhood centers, the media, and social media platforms, through simplified interactive campaigns. Awareness clips that establish a culture of prevention before accidents occur.

He pointed out that spreading the culture of first aid represents a crucial tool for saving lives in the event of a electrocution accident, explaining that prior knowledge of the steps for dealing with the injured person, such as turning off the power first, not touching the injured person directly, then providing cardiopulmonary resuscitation when needed, may make the difference between life and death. Before the arrival of the competent teams.

He called for the inclusion of electrical first aid in training programs in schools and government and private agencies, advising not to overload electrical sockets beyond their capacity, to inspect extensions and wires periodically, and to avoid using poor-quality or counterfeit tools.

He stressed the need to keep wires and devices out of the reach of children, and to unplug devices during storms or Water leakage, and providing fire extinguishers and safe electrical circuit breakers in homes, factories, and workplaces.

He concluded that electrical safety is a collective responsibility that begins with individual awareness within each home, passing through schools and institutions, all the way to the executive and supervisory bodies, continuing: We hope that the coming years will be years of preventing electric shock through spreading awareness and integrating efforts among all sectors. And society.