Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Intermediate Practice Exam

High-voltage burn injuries occur most frequently in which of the following groups?

1. Construction workers

2. Utility workers

3. Firefighters

4. Electricians

The correct answer is: Utility workers

High-voltage burn injuries are most commonly associated with utility workers due to the nature of their job, which often involves working directly with electrical systems, power lines, and other high-voltage equipment. Utility workers regularly face exposure to the risk of high-voltage electricity, making them particularly vulnerable to electrical injuries. Their work requires them to operate and maintain power generation and distribution systems, which increases their likelihood of encountering high-voltage situations. Other groups, such as construction workers, firefighters, and electricians, may also experience electrical injuries, but their direct involvement with high-voltage environments is generally less frequent than that of utility workers. For example, electricians certainly work with electricity, but they are more often dealing with lower voltage circuits in residential or commercial buildings rather than the high-voltage lines that utility workers typically handle. Understanding the specific job hazards associated with different occupations helps clarify why utility workers are the group most frequently affected by high-voltage burn injuries.