UK
Ireland
Scotland
London
Construction News
14/10/2010
Kent Firm Fined Over Electric Shock Injuries
.gif)
A Kent-based construction and engineering company has been fined after an employee suffered severe burns when his jack hammer touched unexposed underground electricity cables.
Bradley Marsh, 28, from Ashford suffered 62 per cent burns to his upper body, face, neck and arms when he inadvertently struck the 11,000 volt cable while working at a construction site in Tovil, Maidstone.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found Mr Marsh's employer, Dwyer Engineering Services Ltd, was in breach of a number of safety regulations after the incident at Burial Ground Lane, on 12 June 2009.
Maidstone Magistrates Court heard the firm did not have a capable supervisor on site, which contributed to poor practices being commonplace. There was also no suitable system in place for the identification of underground cables.
Additionally, Mr Marsh was not trained to dig within 500mm of the live cables, a factor which led to the electrocution.Dwyer Engineering Services Ltd, of Shottenden Manor Farm in Ashford, Kent, earlier pleaded guilty to breaching 25(1) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007. Today (12 October 2010), the company was fined £20,000 and was also ordered to pay costs of £14,532.
Mr Marsh was hospitalised for six weeks after the incident, and as a result of his injuries cannot expose himself to direct sunlight, due to skin grafts. His house has been adapted so he can sleep downstairs and he is unlikely to work again.
HSE Inspector, David Fussell, said: "This incident was wholly avoidable and demonstrates the need for site safety in the construction sector, especially as contact with live electricity is a common cause of serious incidents. In this case, the employer failed to assess the risks to the operator who was digging in close proximity to 11,000 volt electrical cables.
"The fact that serious injury or death can result from contact with electricity, either via personnel, machinery or vehicles, makes it all the more essential for employers to have safe working procedures for any work involving electrical plant, cabling or equipment."
(CD/BMcC)
Bradley Marsh, 28, from Ashford suffered 62 per cent burns to his upper body, face, neck and arms when he inadvertently struck the 11,000 volt cable while working at a construction site in Tovil, Maidstone.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found Mr Marsh's employer, Dwyer Engineering Services Ltd, was in breach of a number of safety regulations after the incident at Burial Ground Lane, on 12 June 2009.
Maidstone Magistrates Court heard the firm did not have a capable supervisor on site, which contributed to poor practices being commonplace. There was also no suitable system in place for the identification of underground cables.
-- Advertisement --
Additionally, Mr Marsh was not trained to dig within 500mm of the live cables, a factor which led to the electrocution.Dwyer Engineering Services Ltd, of Shottenden Manor Farm in Ashford, Kent, earlier pleaded guilty to breaching 25(1) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007. Today (12 October 2010), the company was fined £20,000 and was also ordered to pay costs of £14,532.
Mr Marsh was hospitalised for six weeks after the incident, and as a result of his injuries cannot expose himself to direct sunlight, due to skin grafts. His house has been adapted so he can sleep downstairs and he is unlikely to work again.
HSE Inspector, David Fussell, said: "This incident was wholly avoidable and demonstrates the need for site safety in the construction sector, especially as contact with live electricity is a common cause of serious incidents. In this case, the employer failed to assess the risks to the operator who was digging in close proximity to 11,000 volt electrical cables.
"The fact that serious injury or death can result from contact with electricity, either via personnel, machinery or vehicles, makes it all the more essential for employers to have safe working procedures for any work involving electrical plant, cabling or equipment."
(CD/BMcC)
Latest Construction News
05/02/2025
Stockport Mayoral Development Corporation (MDC) and ECF, a joint venture between Homes England, Legal & General, and Muse, have selected Vinci as the preferred contractor for Phase 1 of Stockport 8, a £350 million residential development west of Stockport town centre.
The decision follows a competi
05/02/2025
Vistry Group has finalised contracts for a significant housing development in Hinckley, Leicestershire, securing outline planning permission to deliver 475 new homes in the area.
The development, located east of Stoke Road and north of Normandy Way in the town's northern region, has a projected val
05/02/2025
Wilten Construction has been awarded a second Design and Build contract at Gateway 14 by client Gateway 14 Ltd and Jaynic.
The project involves the development of a state-of-the-art, three-storey Skills and Innovation Centre spanning 35,000 sq ft in the heart of Gateway 14. Designed to achieve BREE
05/02/2025
Knowsley Council has approved a major housing development in Kirkby, giving the green light to 800 new energy-efficient homes in the town's centre.
The decision also secures £7.7 million in Section 106 contributions from developer Barratt David Wilson Homes, further boosting local investment.
The
05/02/2025
Keepmoat Homes has announced plans to invest over £50 million in three new housing developments across Calderdale, aiming to deliver more than 200 new homes.
The developments, undertaken in partnership with Calderdale Council, form part of the North Halifax Transformation Programme, a local authori
05/02/2025
Essential renewal work at Skerne Road level crossing in Driffield has been completed. Over a six-day period, engineers replaced decades-old equipment, installing a state-of-the-art operating system, replacing the level crossing deck, and resurfacing the road.
The newly installed operating system is
05/02/2025
Construction firm GRAHAM is currently carrying out essential restoration work at the National Railway Museum in York, replacing the Grade II listed roof structure at Station Hall.
Originally built between 1875 and 1877 as a goods station, Station Hall now houses the museum’s six royal carriages.
05/02/2025
Mezzanine floors are commonly associated with additional storage or expanded floor space, but did you know they can also have a profound impact on employee productivity and morale? At Doity Engineering, we specialise in designing and installing mezzanine floors for
05/02/2025
Construction work is commencing on a new solar array at Weeton Barracks in Lancashire that will generate over one third of the site’s energy needs.
The work has been funded under the British Army’s Project Prometheus, a scheme that is increasing renewable energy across the army estate through inst
05/02/2025
The regeneration of Hartlepool's waterfront has reached a significant milestone with a £631,000 grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
The funding will support the development phase of the 'Tides of Change' project, aimed at transforming the visitor experience at the Museum of Hartlepool a
