Knowsley cable firm fined over severe electric shock

A cable manufacturer has been fined after an employee suffered a severe electric shock at its factory in Knowsley.

Medics had to resuscitate the worker on the way to hospital when his heart stopped beating as the result of a cardiac arrest. He also sustained serious burns to his arms and hands.

Tratos Ltd was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) today (25 April 2013) after an investigation found the safety lock on the entrance to a high-voltage testing area at the factory had been removed.

Liverpool Magistrates’ Court was told the 28-year-old, from Hindley near Wigan, who does not wish to be named, had been working in an area of the factory used to test cables at voltages of up to 2,000 volts.

However workers at the factory had been struggling to shut the door leading to the testing pen after one of the hinges became damaged. They altered the locking mechanism for the door which tricked the safety system into believing it was locked shut. This meant power could be applied to the pen with the door still open.

The worker suffered a severe electric shock when he disturbed one of the cables in the testing pen while a current was being fed through it.

Tratos Ltd, of School Lane, Knowlsley, was fined £15,000 after pleading guilty to a breach of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 by failing to ensure the safety of its employees. The company was also ordered to pay £4,206 in prosecution costs.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE Inspector Bruce Jones said:

"Workers shouldn’t have been able to gain access to the testing pen while electricity was being fed through the cables, but the safety system that prevents this from happening was overridden.

"Tratos Ltd’s employees hadn’t been given any information or training on what to do if the testing pen became damaged, and decided to remove the safety mechanism in the door so that they could continue to test cables.

"The company should have ensured that effective health and safety management was in place not only to provide adequate supervision but also safe working procedures for employees to follow. Had this happened, the life-threatening injuries suffered by an employee could have been avoided."

Information on electrical safety is available at www.hse.gov.uk/electricity.

The Health and Safety Executive is Britain's national regulator for workplace health and safety. It aims to reduce work-related death, injury and ill health. It does so through research, information and advice; promoting training; new or revised regulations and codes of practice; and working with local authority partners by inspection, investigation and enforcement. www.hse.gov.ukSection 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 states: "It shall be the duty of every employer to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all his employees."HSE news releases are available at www.hse.gov.uk/press.

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Council in court over worker’s 230 volt shock

Bury Council has appeared in court after one of its employees suffered an electric shock from a 230 volt mains cable.

The 33-year-old from Prestwich, who has asked not to be named, suffered burns to his wrist, leg and groin and singed his facial hair while removing a lamp post on Harper Fold Road in Radcliffe on 9 June 2011.

The local authority was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) after an investigation found he had received inadequate training and supervision for the work.

Trafford Magistrates' Court heard today (14 December 2012) that new street lights had recently been installed on the road and the old lights had been disconnected.

The injured worker and a colleague were in the process of removing one of the old lamp posts, using a jackhammer to break the concrete around the base, when he struck a mains electricity cable.

HSE discovered the two workers had not been given service drawings for the lamp post they were removing, which would have shown where the mains cable ran.

Their manager had also not received any health and safety management training, despite it being part of his job to ensure work was carried out safely.

Bury Metropolitan Borough Council, of Knowsley Street in Bury, was fined £20,000 and ordered to pay £7,594 in costs after pleading guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 by failing to ensure the safety of workers.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE Principal Inspector John McGrellis said:

"The council employee needed several days off work to recover from his burn injuries but he could easily have been killed.

"He shouldn't have been put in a situation where he didn't know what the potential dangers were as he used a jackhammer to break up the concrete around the lamp post.

"It's vital that people carrying out work near to power lines receive appropriate supervision and training to ensure their safety."

More information on electrical safety is available at www.hse.gov.uk/electricty.

The Health and Safety Executive is Britain's national regulator for workplace health and safety. It aims to reduce work-related death, injury and ill health. It does so through research, information and advice; promoting training; new or revised regulations and codes of practice; and working with local authority partners by inspection, investigation and enforcement. www.hse.gov.ukSection 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 states: "It shall be the duty of every employer to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all his employees."

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.