Independent school fined after groundsmen suffer electrical burns

Date:

3 March 2011

Release No:

HSE-E-9-11

The King's School in Ely has been prosecuted after three of its employees suffered electrical burns while setting up a rugby post in one of the school's sports fields.

The court heard that on 15 September 2009, four groundsmen were working to put a rugby post into the ground in the Brand Field at King's School, Ely, Cambridgeshire. The post came into contact with a live 33,000 volt overhead power line and the men received electrical injuries. Trevor Mott from Littleport needed skin grafts and colleagues, Ivor Lloyd, also from Littleport and Chris Young from Haddenham, suffered burns. All men had to take time off work to recuperate.

The King's School pleaded guilty to breaching Section 33(1)(c) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and Regulation 4(3) of the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989.

The school was fined a total of £6,000 and ordered to pay £4,274.40 in costs at Ely Magistrates' Court.

After the hearing, HSE Inspector Stephen Faulkner said:

"Three men suffered some awful injuries that could have easily been avoided if the King's School had better management of health and safety in place to protect their workforce. A fourth man was lucky not to have been injured.

"Employers must carry out sufficient risk assessments before such work is carried out and provide supervision and relevant training to ensure the safety of their staff and contractors."

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.
2. Section 33(1)(c) of the Health and Safety at Work etc 1974 states: 'It is an offence for a person to contravene any health and safety regulations...or any requirement or prohibition imposed under any such regulations.
3. Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 Regulation 4(3) states: 'Every work activity, including operation, use and maintenance of a system and work near a system, shall be carried out in such a manner as not to give rise, so far as is reasonably practicable, to danger.'

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