27 October 2008
HSE has issued a warning to electrical contractors to ensure safe working practices for their staff, after a man working for Mitie Engineering Services died when he came into contact with a live conductor.
Michael Adamson was electrocuted in August 2005 when he came into contact with a live conductor in a cable on which he was working.
Mitie Engineering Services was fined £300,000 at Dundee Sheriff Court last week after being found guilty of charges under Section 2 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.
Two company directors and the project manager were acquitted of charges under Section 37 of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.
Adamson, a qualified electrician, was working at the JJB Sports Centre and retail outlet, which was under construction at the Gallagher Retail Park in Dundee. He was installing cables, fixtures and fittings when the incident happened. Despite being labeled 'not in use', the cable he was working on was live; it had not been safely and securely isolated from the electricity supply.
Adamson was not provided with the necessary test equipment to prove the cable was dead, nor the means to securely isolate the circuit.
HSE principal inspector Jim Skilling said: “Each year there are around 2,000 incidents at work involving electrical injury, including electric shock, and about 20 of these result in fatalities. The industry's complacency in accepting dangerous practices is startling.
“Adamson's death could have been prevented had his employer ensured that safe working practices were being carried out in accordance with the company's own written procedures. Managers and supervisors in this industry must take active steps to ensure that their electricians work safely.”
website
website
