30.03.2007

Electrocution costs over £17,000

Guy Leasing Ltd of Kensington Road, Southport was fined £8,000 while self employed James Walsh of Aspen Close, Shevington Park, Kirkby was fined £4,000 following the death of Robert Davies (48). The two were also ordered to pay £5,245 in costs.

Davies was employed by Guy Leasing and worked alone repairing and refurbishing portable cabins at Guys Industrial Estate in Burscough, Lancashire. on 19 August 2005 a cabin that had been sold was being collected from the site by James Walsh.

Walsh had already lifted the cabin onto his truck with its articulated loader crane and was in the process of stowing the crane when it came into contact with an overhead high voltage cable. Davies was stowing and aluminium ladder on the truck when the crane touched the cable, electrocuting him.

HSE inspector Michael Clarke, who investigated the incident, said: "Operators of vehicle mounted cranes must not take chances when required to work near overhead high voltage cables. They must make sure that the cables are not live or where that is not possible take extra precautions to prevent contact with the cables.

Furthermore, occupiers of sites with overhead high voltage electricity cables must take appropriate measures to control lifting activities and prevent inadvertent contact with such cables. The tragic death of Mr Davies was avoidable."

Guy Leasing and James Walsh had pleaded guilty to three criminal charges between them.