What to Do if Someone Is Electrocuted: Safe First Aid Steps

If someone collapses while using an electrical appliance, your first instinct may be to grab them. Do not touch someone who may still be in contact with live electricity. You could become a second casualty. Your first decisions are whether the area is safe, how to disconnect the power, and when to call emergency services.

This guide is written for readers in the United Kingdom. For a life-threatening emergency, call 999 or 112 and ask for an ambulance. The steps below apply to suspected electric shock; never enter an electrically hazardous area to attempt a rescue.

What should you do first if someone receives an electric shock?

1. Stop and look for danger. Check for a live appliance, damaged cable, exposed wiring, wet floor, fallen power line, or metal equipment touching electricity. Keep other people away. Do not touch the person, surrounding water, or conductive objects while the source may be live.
2. Disconnect the electricity if you can do so safely. For an incident involving an ordinary household appliance, turn off the appliance at a safely accessible switch, unplug it only if you can do so without approaching the hazard, or isolate the supply at the consumer unit (fuse box). Do not step into water or reach across exposed wiring.
3. Do not attempt a high-voltage rescue. If overhead lines, a fallen cable, a substation, industrial equipment, or an unknown supply is involved, stay well back and call 999. Electricity may arc or return without warning. Only the appropriate electricity operator or emergency responders can confirm the area is safe.
4. Call for emergency help. Once you are at a safe distance, call 999 or 112 for an ambulance if the person is unresponsive, has trouble breathing, has chest pain, has collapsed, has significant burns, or has been involved in a high-voltage incident. Explain that electricity may still be live. If other people are present, ask one person to call while another keeps bystanders clear.
5. Only approach when the electrical danger has been removed. Check whether the person responds, then follow the ambulance call handler's instructions for breathing assessment, CPR, an AED, and other first aid.

St John Ambulance and Electrical Safety First describe using a dry, nonconductive object, such as a wooden pole, to separate a person from a source in certain low-voltage situations when the power cannot be disconnected. This is not a safe general-purpose rescue technique: wet wood, water, metal fittings, damaged insulation, and uncertain voltage can make the situation lethal. If you cannot confidently isolate the source and make the scene safe, stay back and wait for trained responders. Never try this near a power line or industrial high-voltage equipment.

When should you start CPR?

After the power is isolated and the person is safe to approach, check for a response. Under the Resuscitation Council UK's 2025 adult basic life support guidance, call 999 immediately for any unresponsive person, rather than delaying the call until you have checked their breathing. Put your phone on speaker so the dispatcher can guide you.

If the person is unresponsive and is not breathing normally—including irregular gasps—start CPR promptly:

• Place the heel of one hand in the center of the adult's chest, the other hand on top, and press firmly at 100–120 compressions per minute, approximately 5–6 cm deep.
• If you are untrained or cannot provide rescue breaths, continue chest compressions without pauses. If trained and able to give rescue breaths, use a cycle of 30 compressions followed by 2 breaths.
• Have another bystander get an automated external defibrillator (AED), if available. Switch it on, attach pads to bare skin as shown, and follow the spoken directions. Nobody should touch the person when the AED is analyzing or delivering a shock.
• Continue as directed by the AED or emergency call handler until professional help takes over, the person shows clear signs of life, or it is no longer safe to continue.

The compression depths above are for adults. For a baby or child, follow the ambulance dispatcher's age-appropriate instructions; pediatric CPR has important differences. If the person is unresponsive but breathing normally, keep monitoring them and follow the call handler's advice about positioning. Avoid unnecessary movement, especially if a fall or neck injury is possible.

How should you treat an electrical burn?

An electrical injury can damage tissue beneath the skin even when the visible mark is small. The UK Health and Safety Executive warns that current passing through the body can cause deep internal burns and disturb the heart or breathing. Treat any electrical burn as potentially serious.

1. First confirm the electricity is disconnected. Do not use water on the person or equipment while the electrical source may still be live.
2. Once the scene is safe and urgent life-saving care is underway, cool the burn under cool running water for 20 minutes. Cool the affected area rather than chilling the entire person; keep the rest of the body warm.
3. Remove nearby rings, watches, or loose clothing before swelling develops, but do not pull away clothing stuck to the wound.
4. After cooling, loosely lay cling film over the burn or use a clean, non-fluffy dressing. Do not wrap film tightly around a limb, apply ice or butter, put creams on the wound, or burst blisters.
5. Arrange emergency department assessment for any burn caused by electricity. NHS guidance specifically lists electrical burns among injuries requiring 999 or attendance at A&E. If severe symptoms are present, call 999 for an ambulance rather than transporting the person yourself.

Should you call 999, go to A&E, or contact NHS 111?

The right route depends on whether a life-threatening emergency is happening, not simply how dramatic the skin injury looks.

When speaking to emergency services, state the location, whether power has been isolated, what equipment or supply was involved, approximately when contact occurred, and whether the person is conscious and breathing. Do not delay the call to collect details.

Which rescue choices are safe—and which are not?

Switching off the power versus pulling the person away

Turning off the supply is the preferred option when you can reach a safe switch or consumer unit. Physically pulling someone away risks passing current through your own body. Improvised insulation offers less certainty than confirmed isolation, especially around water or damaged equipment. When in doubt, do not attempt contact.

Household appliance versus downed power line

A household appliance may have a clearly accessible isolation point. A fallen outdoor cable has no reliable visual indication of whether it is energized, and the supply may automatically re-energize. The HSE advises that equipment entangled with overhead lines must not be freed until the network operator confirms it is de-energized. Keep others back and let responders manage the scene.

Helping immediately versus waiting for responders

Speed matters after the danger is controlled. Prompt CPR and AED use can be life-saving, but beginning first aid while the current is still live puts both people at risk. You can help immediately from a safe place by calling 999, giving an accurate location, warning bystanders, and identifying the electrical source for responders.

What should you avoid after an electric shock?

• Do not touch the person until you are certain the electrical hazard is removed.
• Do not assume rubber-soled shoes or gloves make contact with live electricity safe.
• Do not use water, metal tools, wet towels, or other conductive materials to separate someone from an energized source.
• Do not assume the person is unharmed because they can talk, stand, or have no visible burns.
• Do not reuse a faulty appliance or turn the supply back on until a competent person has inspected the problem.
• Do not postpone a medical assessment for an electrical burn or significant shock while waiting to see whether symptoms develop.

How can you reduce the risk of another incident?

Keep appliances away from water, avoid using electrical equipment with wet hands, and remove damaged leads, plugs, or equipment from service. Check for fraying, exposed conductors, scorch marks, and loose connections. Have repairs and wiring faults handled by a competent electrician. At work, follow site isolation procedures and never assume a circuit is dead because a machine has stopped.

Remember the order: protect yourself, isolate the power, summon help, then provide first aid once it is safe. This is more effective than rushing into contact with an electrically injured person and risking another casualty.

Official sources and further guidance

• St John Ambulance: Electric shock first aid (clinically reviewed April 2025).
• Electrical Safety First: First aid for electric shock.
• Resuscitation Council UK: 2025 adult basic life support guidelines.
• NHS: Burns and scalds, including electrical burns.
• Health and Safety Executive: Electrical injuries.
• Health and Safety Executive: Overhead power line safety.
• NHS: When to call 999.