Unsafe electricity work fines for two companies | Health & Safety

Unsafe electricity work leads to fines for two companies

Key Facts:

• Two men suffered severe burns whilst working on a live electricity distribution board.
• A capacitor from the distribution board fell onto a live conductor whilst they were working on it, causing an electrical flashover.
• The employing company and the company in charge of the site where the unsafe electricity work was undertaken were both prosecuted, with combined fines of £44,000.

The Case:

Two firms have been prosecuted for unsafe electricity work after two workers suffered serious, life-changing burns whilst working on a live electricity distribution board in an incident on 5 December 2011.

Two employees were injured whilst carrying out replacement work on a T3 distribution board at a second company’s site. They were replacing two capacitors 12 centimetres above live conductors housed within the distribution board. A capacitor from the distribution board fell onto a live conductor causing a ‘flashover’ that injured the two men.

An electrical flashover is generally characterised by a very bright light, loud noise and extremely high temperature – extreme enough to vaporise the metal of the live conductor. The two men suffered severe burns to the face, neck and arms.

The case was heard at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court on 14 April 2015. The workers’ employers pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 14 of the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 and were fined £24,000. The company whose site they were working on also pleaded guilty to breaching the same regulations and were fined £20,000.

What the HSE inspector had to say:

Speaking after the hearing the HSE Inspector Kerry Cringan stated that:

“The failure by both C&F Electrical Services and Raytheon Systems to plan the work on the electrical distribution switchgear has resulted in two employees suffering life changing injuries from an electrical flashover. 

“Live work should only be undertaken if it is unreasonable to make the conductors dead and suitable precautions are taken to prevent injury. 

“In this case, it was reasonable to undertake the work while the distribution board was switched off which would have reduced the risks so far as was reasonably practicable and prevented the accident.” 

What the law states:

Regulation 14 of the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 requires that

“live work” should only be undertaken if all three of the following criteria are satisfied, namely:

it is unreasonable to make the conductors dead; and

it is reasonable for the work to proceed; and

suitable precautions are taken to avoid injury.

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