Firms fined £22,000 after worker suffers facial burns

Date:

23 November 2010

Release No:

SC0/205/10

Two firms were fined a total of £22,000 after a worker received facial burns when he cut through an underground electrical cable.

Miller Construction (UK) Limited and Lawrie (Demolition) Limited were each fined £11,000 after pleading guilty to charges under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.

On 24 June 2008 Valentin Talijanov, an employee of Lawrie (Demolition) Limited, cut through a 415 volt electric cable at the City Wharf redevelopment site in Aberdeen.

Principal Contractor Miller Construction (UK) Limited, Miller House, 2 Lochside View, Edinburgh Park, Edinburgh pleaded guilty to a charge under Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. Subcontractor Lawrie (Demolition) Limited, Rigifa, Cove, Aberdeen pleaded guilty to a charge under Section 2(1).

The case was heard at Aberdeen Sheriff Court.

Notes to editors

1. 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. http://www.hse.gov.uk/
2. In Scotland the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service has sole responsibility for the raising of criminal proceedings for breaches of health and safety legislation.
3. Section 2 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."
4. Section 3 of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 states: "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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