HSE warn of the danger of leaving live electricity cables exposed after two workmen suffer serious burns

Date:

2008 11 April 2008

Release No:

HSE/NW/001/PROS/SPPOWER/

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have warned of the need to manage the risk from live electricity cables on construction sites after two workmen suffered serious burns after a cable explosion.

The warning follows the prosecution of SP Power Systems Ltd of Glasgow after Peter Mason was engulfed in flames and his colleague, Kieran Williams, thrown to the ground after one of them tripped and fell onto a live cable during construction work in Great George Street, Liverpool.

Peter Mason took the full force of the blast to his face and neck and had to run 40 metres out of the building in flames before being able to extinguish them in a puddle of rainwater. He was taken to the Royal Liverpool Hospital before being transferred to the specialist burns unit at Whiston Hospital.

Liverpool Crown Court heard that SP Power Systems Ltd had left the cable in a live condition for five months, but had failed to make it safe.

SP Power Systems Ltd pleaded guilty to an offence under the Health and Safety etc, Act 1974 Section 3 (1) that they failed to take reasonable steps so that persons not in their employment were not exposed to risks. They were fined £32,000 and ordered to pay £15,000 costs.

HSE inspector Wayne Crumpton said in October 2005 workmen on the site, where an existing building was being demolished and two blocks of apartments being built, came across a metal pipe which was sparking and was identified as a live cable that they had been unaware of.

SP Power Systems Ltd were contacted and visited the site, sealing the end of the cable, but failed to make it clear to the site management team that the cable remained live. Believing the cable to be dead, work was allowed to continue on the site.

The incident happened some six months later on the 8 March 2006, when 28-year-old scaffolder Peter Mason, from Birkenhead, and 17 year old plasterer Kieran Williams, from Crosby, were working in the building when one of them stumbled onto the cable causing it to explode.

HSE Inspector Wayne Crumpton said:

"This was an entirely avoidable incident that caused horrific injuries. SP Power Systems Ltd should have made it clear to the site management team that the cable remained live and their own systems should have alerted them to that fact.  The cable was still live and should have been made safe by one of their own follow-up gangs very shortly after their first visit to the site.  This incident could so easily have resulted in multiple fatalities and the message must go home to all those responsible for electrical systems on construction sites that this is a harsh environment and one that needs managing well."

Notes to editors

1. The Health and Safety at work etc Act 1974 Section 3 (1) says
   
   It shall be the duty of every employer to conduct his undertaking in such a way as to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that persons not in his employment who may be affected thereby are not thereby exposed to risks to their health or safety.

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