The UK’S National Grid has been fined more than £3million (almost A$6.3m) after its failures left a father-of-two with life-changing injuries from working on a pylon in South Wales.
The employee was working replacing step bolts on a pylon in an industrial estate when he received an electric shock of 33 thousand volts. The 50-year-old sustained burns to 40 per cent of his body, including to his arms and legs, and lost part of his right buttock.
National Grid Electricity Distribution (South Wales) Plc and 4 Power Ltd both received fines in relation to the December 2020 incident.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that 4 Power Ltd failed to properly plan and assess the risk. Had this been done, it would have identified that the arms of the pylon were too short to do the work safely, while maintaining the specified safety distances as per industry standard. Further, National Grid Electricity Distribution (South Wales) failed to ensure that the electricity was off in order to do this work safely on the pylon.
Read more: HSE Media release