Crime and Punishment… And Electricity – A Study on Court Cases in Finland Involving Electrical Safety in 2013–2023

Abstract

As use of electric power imposes shock, arc flash and fire hazards to workers and the users of the electrical installations as well as to bystanders. Electrical work is strictly regulated in industrialized countries. Exact requirements for both the installations and the competence of the electricians vary country by country. Neglecting the regulations can lead to criminal charges or damage judgments. In this paper, 74 Finnish court cases involving electrical safety are classified and analyzed from a technical and safety perspective. The cases include workplace safety offenses, self-made illegal electrical installations as well as plain electricity thefts. If prosecuted, the trial leads to a guilty verdict in almost every case. If no actual accident happens, persons making illegal installations are typically receive a small fine, but in work safety negligence or systematic illegal contracting the perpetrator can be convicted with jail time or a suspended sentence. In the most severe case reviewed, an improperly installed underfloor heating cable causing a structural fire, killing three adolescent girls However this did not lead to criminal conviction as the offense had passed the statute of limitations. The conclusions of these reviews can be used in improving work safety by learning from incidents and focusing electrical inspections, as well as comparing legal systems and safety legislation to other countries.