![PP Construction Safety logo and link to home page [1]](https://www.ppconstructionsafety.com/wp-content/themes/ppcs960/images/ppcslogo.jpg)
MAJOR ENERGY PROVIDER PROSECUTED AFTER DEATH
Sagging power cable struck by passing car caused death of workman
Scottish Power UK plc has been fined £130,000 and ordered to pay £48,000 in prosecution costs after 20-year-old Simon Lines died when he was struck by an overhead power cable in January 2007. The company pleaded guilty to contravening Regulation 4(2) of the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989.
Mr Lines died whilst he was warning motorists of a power cable that had sagged in high winds. The cable was struck by a passing van causing it to fall to the road where it was hit by a vehicle causing it to fly into the air. The cable struck Mr Lines in the face.
He was taken to hospital but died eight days later from the injuries caused by the cable.
Wooden cable fixing arrangement failed
HSE investigation found the cable was attached to partially rotten wooden block. The deterioration in condition of the block led to the cable becoming detached. Since the incident Scottish Power has removed this type of fixing arrangement from its network.
The underlying problem was the use of an improvised timber spacer block into which the overhead line had been secured to the barge board of a domestic property. The nails and ceramic screw bobbin fittings ran along the direction of the grain in the timber block which may have encouraged propagation of cracking along the length of the bracket.
The structural integrity of the cable anchor was poor and did not conform to any known engineering standard
John Steed, HSE Specialist Electrical Inspector said:.
“Mr Lines was trying to make sure others weren’t injured and in doing so, received injuries so severe they killed him. Those who knew him may take small comfort from the fact that he died while acting in such an honourable way, but the fact that it could have been prevented makes the death of such a young man even more tragic.
The failure to maintain the wooden block led to the cable anchors detaching from the building, and set in motion a chain of events with a tragic outcome. Whilst some of the links in that chain of events could not have been prevented, what could have been prevented was the securing of the cable to the building by Scottish Power in what turned out to be an inadequate way.
Latest Construction Health and Safety News
CONSTRUCTION SAFETY NEWS – END OF NEW CONTENT
The addition of content on this website ceased on 17th April 2020.
Material posted before this date can be found by clicking on our SEARCH NEWS DATABASE function.
HSE WARN OF NEED FOR RPE FACE FIT TEST AND CHECK
Incorrectly fitted RPE will not protect the wearer from dangers to health
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 16th April 2020CORONA VIRUS: LATEST SITE OPERATING PROCEDURES
Industry Bodies publish risk management guidance Version 3
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 15th April 2020TOWER CRANE OUT OF SERVICE SAFETY ALERT
Important advice from Construction Plant-hire Association and HSE
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 30th March 2020FRAGILE ROOF REPLACEMENT PUT WORKERS IN DANGER
Measures to prevent falling from or through the roof were missing
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 30th March 2020WORKMAN FELL FROM EDGE OF MEZZANINE FLOOR
Edge protection was absent and workman untrained for the task
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 30th March 2020HSE PLAN AND CONSTRUCTION PRIORITIES 2020/21
Appointed CDM 2015 Principal Designers remain focus of HSE inspections
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 30th March 2020COVID-19 ADVICE & GUIDANCE FOR CONSTRUCTION
BuildUK support industry with advice, guidance and information
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 30th March 2020LATEST HSE CONVICTIONS AND NOTICES REGISTERS
View current online HSE registers of prosecution convictions and notices
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 30th March 2020POORLY DESIGNED SCHOOL GATE CRUSHED CHILD
Sliding gate over-run mechanism proved insufficiently robust
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 9th March 2020POWER GENERATOR PROSECUTED OVER UNSAFE SYSTEM
Maintenance workers seriously injured when energy suddenly released
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 2nd March 2020CEILING BELOW SAVES WORKMAN IN ROOFLIGHT FALL
Roofworker fell through roof after stepping on fragile rooflight
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 2nd March 2020INEXPERIENCED WORKER FELL THROUGH OPENING
No physical protection or warning of opening and fragile covering
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 29th February 2020CDM PRINCIPAL DESIGNER IN COURT OVER FIRE RISK
Designers and contractor prosecuted for risk management failings
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 29th February 2020PRISON SENTENCE FOR RECALCITRANT DIRECTOR
Prohibition and improvement notices ignored and danger persisted
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 26th February 2020TEMPORARY WORKS HOARDING FELL ON PEDESTRIAN
Member of the public struck when site fence collapsed suddenly
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 26th February 2020CHILD FATALLY INJURED BY UNSECURED POLE
Pole stored on embankment moved and trapped boy against fencing
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 26th February 2020OWNER RESPONSE TO HSE INSPECTION ENDED IN COURT
Police uphold HSE right to inspect without threats, aggression or abuse
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 24th February 2020HSE TARGETING WELDING FUME CANCER RISK
Inspections to enforce improved controls required by new risk evidence
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 24th February 2020CONTRACTOR FAILED TO REPLACE MISSING PROTECTION
Painter and decorator fractured hip in fall from landing
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 18th February 2020RISK OF DERMATITIS SUFFICIENT FOR PROSECUTION
Company failed to implement controls and surveillance required by COSHH
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 18th February 2020COSHH FAILINGS CAUSE ASTHMA AND PROVE COSTLY
Uncontrolled exposure to isocyanates during paint spraying operations
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 18th February 2020POLICE EMPLOYEE SHOCKED BY DATA CABLE WORK
South Wales Force fined over electric shock from ceiling void cable
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 18th February 2020COLLAPSE OF PUMP SET TRAPPED WORKMAN
Unsafe system of work transferring from pallet to a raised platform
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 18th February 2020MODIFIED PODIUM STEPS CAUSE FALL FROM HEIGHT
Firm failed to select and correctly assemble with necessary training
Posted on 14th February 2020
