11,000-volt burns worker company finedRSS Feed
The company employing a man who suffered serious burns in an accident at work has been fined at Cheltenham Magistrates Court.
In September 2009, Stephen Martin Edwards was working for Powersystems UK when he was exposed to equipment carrying 11,000 volts.
He was working under the supervision of an electrical engineer when he was told to open the wrong connection box by mistake.
Instead of being earthed and safe, the three terminals in the box were live at 11,000 volts.
The current arced between the live wires and his spanner, resulting in a flash igniting his clothes, leaving him with bad burns on his hands, arms and chest.
A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation indentified a number of failings that led to the accident, which it claimed could have been avoided.
HSE inspector Dawn Lawrence commented: "However, because basic precautions for safe work on electrical systems were not taken, Mr Edwards suffered burns which are so serious that he has not yet been able to return to work."
It comes as the HSE carries out inspections on County Durham industrial estates to reduce accident claims.
Accident claims advice from Serious Law
Posted by M E Dixon
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