Final answer:
Common causes of electrical accidents include thermal hazards, such as short circuits and overloaded wires, and shock hazards, where electric current passes through a person. Safety devices like fuses and circuit breakers help prevent these hazards.
Step-by-step explanation:
The most common causes of electrical accidents and injuries are related to thermal hazards and shock hazards. A thermal hazard occurs due to excessive electric power, which can cause overheating and potentially start a fire. An example of this is a short circuit, where a low-resistance path allows excessive current to flow, generating heat faster than it can be dissipated safely.
Another thermal hazard is when electrical wires are overloaded, with the current exceeding the wire’s maximum rated capacity, which can cause the wires to overheat. To prevent such hazards, safety devices like fuses and circuit breakers are used. A shock hazard, on the other hand, happens when electric current passes through a person, which can range from a painful experience to a fatal one.