title: Analysis of electrical accidents and the related causes involving citizens who are served by the Western of Tehran.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Electrical burns account for a significant percentage of fatal accidents. Each year, a number of consumers in Iran suffer from electrical injuries due to technical problems, equipment failures, and the unauthorized use of electricity. The aim of this study was to examine the root causes of accidents that involved electricity in the district served by the Western Tehran Province Electricity Distribution Company.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a descriptive study in which incidents involving electricity-related injuries were investigated among customers served by the Western Tehran Province Electricity Distribution Company. Therefore, we collected and analyzed incident reports filed by citizens from 2005 through the first half of 2009 in the Distribution Company's coverage area, including Savejbolagh, Shahriyar, eastern Karaj, Qods City, southern Karaj, western Karaj, Malard, and Mehrshahr. The reported events were analyzed using SPSS software.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Exposure of electricity lines and unauthorized construction of residential houses in areas where there were medium- and low-voltage lines were responsible for 37% of the injuries. The findings showed that the highest rate of accidents occurred in 2008 and the first half of 2009. The highest rate of accidents occurred among people with a mean age of 35.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results from investigating the causes of electrical accidents emphasized the necessity of developing a culture of safety in communities, especially among employees who are engaged in occupations related to electricity, construction workers, and school children to reduce the rate of such accidents.
authors.affiliation: MSc. Student of Occupational Safety & Health, Department of Occupational Health, Tarbiat Modares University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Haji Omid
authors.initials: HO
authors.lastname: Kalte
authors.affiliation: Ph.D.Student in Crisis Management, Department of Crisis Management, Research Faculty of Management. Shakhespajouh Research Institute of Engineering natural disasters,. Esfahan. Iran.
authors.forename: Alireza Haji
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Hosseini
authors.affiliation: M.Sc. Student of Occupational Health, Department of Occupational Health, Public Health School, Ahvaz University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Arabzadeh
authors.affiliation: MSc Student of Business Management Farabi College, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Hossein
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Najafi
authors.affiliation: PhD Student in Occupational Medicine Research Center, Iran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Naser
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Dehghan
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Arash
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Akbarzadeh
authors.affiliation: MSc. Of Business Management, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Safiyeh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Keshavarz
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational Health, Public Health School, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran ; Ph.D. Student of Occupational Health, Department of Occupational Health, International Campus, Tehran, University of Medical Science (TUMS.IC), Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohsen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Karchani
keywords: Iran; electricity; injuries; occupational accidents