Liverpool boss in court over workers' facial burns

Date:

1 September 2011

Release No:

HSE/NW/46Hayes

A Liverpool boss has appeared in court after two of his employees suffered facial burns in a flash fire at the city's ferry terminal.

One of the workers, from New Ferry in Wirral, received severe burns to his face and hands, needed three months off work to recover, and required treatment to remove debris from his eyes.

Terence Hayes, the owner of Hayes Electrical and Building Services, was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) after an investigation found electrical work had been allowed to go ahead without the power being cut.

Liverpool Magistrates' Court was told his company had been replacing a temporary generator for the landing stage at the ferry terminal with a supply from the mains. Two of his employees visited the site on 16 April 2009 to install a new fuse into the switchboard at the Pier Head ferry terminal.

The court heard that that the work had gone ahead while electricity was still running through the switchboard. When one of the workers tried to install the new fuse, there was a bright flash and an intense heat caused by a fire, lasting just a few seconds.

The 50-year-old's glasses were badly charred in the flash fire and he needed four days in hospital after suffering severe burns. The other worker, 57, from Blundellsands near Crosby, also received burns to his face and required hospital treatment. Both workers have asked not to be named.

Terence Hayes admitted a breach of the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 after he allowed his employees to carry out work while the electricity supply was still live. Mr Hayes, of Buttercup Close in Waterloo, Sefton, was fined £8,000 and ordered to pay £4,766 in prosecution costs on 1 September 2011.

Speaking after the hearing, Sarah Wadham, the investigating inspector at HSE, said:

The remains of the worker's badly charred glasses

"One of the workers suffered severe burns in the flash fire but luckily his glasses prevented his eyes from being more badly damaged. He still needed three months off work to recover and gets flashbacks of the incident.

"Mr Hayes should simply never have allowed the work to go ahead without the power being cut. The installation and maintenance instructions for the switchboard clearly state work should not be carried out while the electricity supply is live.

"It would have been perfectly reasonable to carry out the work between ferry sailings when the electricity supply at the terminal could have been switched off. That way neither of Mr Hayes' employees would have been put at risk."

Around 1,000 electrical accidents at work are report to HSE every year, and around 25 people die from their injuries. Information on electrical safety is available at www.hse.gov.uk/electricity.

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. www.hse.gov.uk
2. Regulation 14 of the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 states: No person shall be engaged in any work activity on or so near any live conductor (other than one suitably covered with insulating material so as to prevent danger) that danger may arise unless: it is unreasonable in all the circumstances for it to be dead; it is reasonable in all the circumstances for him to be at work on or near it while it is live; and suitable precautions (including where necessary the provision of suitable protective equipment) are taken to prevent injury."

Press enquiries

Regional reporters should call the appropriate Regional News Network press office.

Issued on behalf of HSE by COI News & PR North West