Prosecutions
Builder shakes hands with 66,000 volts – Fines of almost £30k for companies and director
28/10/2009
The Health and Safety Executive has issued a warning to builders advising them to be extra vigilant when working around overhead power cables after a scaffolder was seriously injured after an accident occurred on a site in Worcestershire.
The injured man suffered burns to more than 50 per cent of his body, his heart also stopped and had to be re-started. The accident happened when the metal tube he was carrying came into contact with power lines.
The HSE brought about three separate charges in relation to the incident on 12 November 2007. The Redditch based company building company pleaded guilty to breaching section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and was fined £11,985 and ordered to pay £3,000 costs in Redditch Magistrates Court.
The scaffolding company, also of Redditch, was fined £5,985 and ordered to pay £1,500 costs after pleading guilty to breaching section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act. The Director of the company was also fined £5,985 and ordered to pay £1,500 in costs after pleading guilty to section 2(1) by virtue of section 37(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
Three workers arrived at the site in Redditch to dismantle scaffolding. The injured man was removing a 6 metre long guard rail when it made contact with the 66,000 volt overhead cable. The worker was removed from the scaffold platform by firemen and flown to hospital where he was treated for serious burns and other injuries.
The electricity cable was charred at the point of contact, while the galvanised steel tube also had drips of zinc along its length where it had melted.
An inspector from the HSE commented upon the incident: "The injured man is very lucky to be alive. He was let down by a system of work that failed to take account of the danger posed by the live overhead cables. Work close to overhead cables should be avoided but where this is unavoidable then a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks needs to be carried out and a safe system of work devised with the assistance of the owners of the electricity cables.
"Electricity can also arc or 'flashover' small distances, so direct contact with electricity cables is not always necessary to result in an incident.
"This case should act as a warning to all those who have to work close to live cables such as those in agriculture, construction and quarrying where scaffold poles, vehicles and cranes are used."
The HSE brought about three separate charges in relation to the incident on 12 November 2007. The Redditch based company building company pleaded guilty to breaching section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and was fined £11,985 and ordered to pay £3,000 costs in Redditch Magistrates Court.
The scaffolding company, also of Redditch, was fined £5,985 and ordered to pay £1,500 costs after pleading guilty to breaching section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act. The Director of the company was also fined £5,985 and ordered to pay £1,500 in costs after pleading guilty to section 2(1) by virtue of section 37(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
Three workers arrived at the site in Redditch to dismantle scaffolding. The injured man was removing a 6 metre long guard rail when it made contact with the 66,000 volt overhead cable. The worker was removed from the scaffold platform by firemen and flown to hospital where he was treated for serious burns and other injuries.
The electricity cable was charred at the point of contact, while the galvanised steel tube also had drips of zinc along its length where it had melted.
An inspector from the HSE commented upon the incident: "The injured man is very lucky to be alive. He was let down by a system of work that failed to take account of the danger posed by the live overhead cables. Work close to overhead cables should be avoided but where this is unavoidable then a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks needs to be carried out and a safe system of work devised with the assistance of the owners of the electricity cables.
"Electricity can also arc or 'flashover' small distances, so direct contact with electricity cables is not always necessary to result in an incident.
"This case should act as a warning to all those who have to work close to live cables such as those in agriculture, construction and quarrying where scaffold poles, vehicles and cranes are used."