Fine after death of family man
A POWER company must pay £519,000 in fines and costs after the death from electrocution of one of their employees while working.
Jonathan Crosby, a 45-year-old father of four from Dickleburgh was working as an overhead linesman at UK Power Networks, formerly known as EDF Energy Networks Ltd, when the incident happened on November 9, 2007.
Working from a cherry picker in Diss, he was removing a transformer which then made contact with live power, resulting in the fatal shock.
The Health and Safety Executive found that fuses supplying the transformer had not been removed to cut the electricity supply while it was being lifted by a crane, and also held by Mr Crosby.
The HSE told Norwich Crown Court this week that UK Power Networks had fallen short of ensuring high risk work, much of it at height, was carried out safely. That included a lack of rigorous and up-to-date procedures for the work, a failure to train staff adequately, and failing to check the procedures were effective and were being followed.
UK Power Networks was fined £300,000 and ordered to pay costs of £219,352 after admitting breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
Judge Peter Jacobs said: “They fell significantly short of the reasonable practicability standards and they must take responsibility for their organisational and operational failures.”
In a statement, UK Power Networks, which has owned electricity networks in the east of England since October 2010, expressed its “deep regret” for his death. It added since the incident staff had been retrained. “The extensive programme of improvements which was in place, was continued and reinforced,” it said.
“Since the incident we have co-operated fully in the formal investigation by the Health and Safety Executive.”
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Wednesday 23 May 2012
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