Fireball incident left two workers badly burned

A property development company and its manager failed to take precautions to protect two workers who were engulfed in a fireball when they cut through a 1000-volt electrical cable.
The incident took place on 10 August 2010 at an empty industrial unit in Telford owned by RVB Investments UK Ltd. The company’s manager, Clifford Leigh, instructed two of his employees, Eamonn Osborne and David Rawlins, to find an underground water leak at the site.
Leigh told the men to dig at a spot outside the unit but he failed to carry out a risk assessment, or provide them with instructions for a safe system of work. He also failed to provide the men with site plans showing the location of underground electrical cables.
The men started digging using an electric drill. On reaching 40cm into the ground, the drill cut through an underground power cable. Both men were engulfed in a fireball, which had an estimated power equivalent to 4.3million watts of energy and caused a 500-amp fuse to blow in a nearby electrical substation. The workers suffered severe burns to their hands, arms and faces and were airlifted to hospital. Mr Obsborne’s injuries were so severe that doctors believed he might not survive during his first few days in hospital.
HSE inspector Nic Rigby revealed the two men had received no training about the dangers arising from underground services. The HSE decided to take action against Leigh, as he had a duty to take reasonable care for their safety. He was aware of HSE guidance, which details how to dig safely near underground services, but he failed to ensure that proper precautions had been taken before the work started.€
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Fireball incident left two workers badly burned
A property development company and its manager failed to take precautions to protect two workers who were engulfed in a fireball when they cut through a 1000-volt electrical cable.
Safety & Health Practitioner
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Pathetic insulting fines which neither represent justice nor act as a deterrent to employers who risk workers lives every single day.
My son was killed in 2005 in an explosion & fireball at work,after almost 6 years of delaying tactics by the killer employer,errors by CPS in applying the law correctly ,the compnay was fined £100000,they pleaded poverty and fine was then reduced to £50000
Until killing of workers is considered in UK as a serious crime this slaughter will continue Disgraceful
Well said Dorothy, it is a national disgrace the level of fines and sentences imposed on those breaching h&s laws. Unfortunately in this current climate of blaming health and safety for the country’s woes I cannot see any improvments in the near future.
I am really sorry to hear about your son – you must have been devastated. And another paltry fine considering the seriousness of the offence. That said, many organisations go into voluntary liquidation in order to escape justice.