Electrical injury
Meaning of electrical injury: For the purposes of this Statement of Principles, electrical injury: (a) means physical damage to the body as a direct result of the flow of electrical current through the body or across the body surface; and (b) includes such damage from: (i) an external manufactured source (including an implanted electrical device); or (ii) being struck by lightning; or (iii) being in the immediate vicinity of a lightning strike; and (iv) electrical contact burns; and (v) electrical flash burns. (c) excludes any consequences from exposure to external electromagnetic radiation. (3) While electrical injury attracts ICD-10-AM code T75.0 or T75.4, in applying this Statement of Principles the meaning of electrical injury is that given in subsection (2). Compilation No. 1 Compilation date: 22/01/2024 Authorised Version F2024C00041 registered 22/01/2024 (4) For subsection (3), a reference to an ICD-10-AM code is a reference to the code assigned to a particular kind of injury or disease in The International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Tenth Revision, Australian Modification (ICD-10-AM), Tenth Edition, effective date of 1 July 2017, copyrighted by the Independent Ho
Reasonable Hypothesis (RH) — Statement of Principles No. 41 of 2018
At least one of the following factors must as a minimum exist before it can be said that a reasonable hypothesis has been raised connecting electrical injury or death from electrical injury with the circumstances of a person's relevant service:
- (1)having exposure to electrical current at the time of clinical onset; (1A) having exposure to an electric arc across the affected area of the body at the time of clinical onset;
- (2)inability to obtain appropriate clinical management for electrical injury;
Aggravation-only factors: the factors in subsection 9(2) apply only to material contribution to, or aggravation of, the condition where it was suffered or contracted before or during (but did not arise out of) the person’s relevant service.
Balance of Probabilities (BoP) — Statement of Principles No. 42 of 2018
2 factors
At least one of the following factors must exist before it can be said that, on the balance of probabilities, electrical injury or death from electrical injury is connected with the circumstances of a person's relevant service:
- (1)having exposure to electrical current at the time of clinical onset; (1A) having exposure to an electric arc across the affected area of the body at the time of clinical onset;
- (2)inability to obtain appropriate clinical management for electrical injury;
Aggravation-only factors: the factors in subsection 9(2) apply only to material contribution to, or aggravation of, the condition where it was suffered or contracted before or during (but did not arise out of) the person’s relevant service.
