BAM Construction Limited, of Breakspear Way, Hemel Hempstead, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 14 of the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989. It was fined £260,000 with over £9,415 in costs.
Shoreland Projects Limited of Woodhouse Lane, Botley also pleaded guilty to contravening Regulation 14 of the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989. It has been fined £22,000 with more than £8,442 in costs.
Winchester Crown Court heard how BAM had been appointed by Network Rail to build a new railway operating centre in Basingstoke in January 2015. The company later selected Shoreland Projects as the project's groundworks contractor.
-- Advertisement --
While work was taking place to install lampposts on the site entrance road, the fifth lamp post touched a 11kV overhead power line when it was being lifted into position by an excavator.
A worker, Mark Bradley, suffered multiple life changing injuries including severe burns to his neck. A colleague used a piece of timber to push Mr Bradley away from the lamp column.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found a failure to properly identify the presence of the overhead power lines and appropriately plan this work activity. No suitable control measures were in place to prevent contact with the overhead power lines. Overall, a number of works were put at risk, including Mr Bradley.
HSE inspector William Christie said: "While this entirely preventable incident has had a permanent and very substantial effect on Mark's life, his very serious injuries could have been even worse had it not been for the quick thinking of his colleague.
"This case highlights the importance for all work to be planned properly by all duty holders. Overhead power lines pose a significant threat to the safety of workers. Construction work in the vicinity of live conductors must be properly planned, managed and monitored to ensure the risks are controlled."
(LM/CD)
