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March 6, 2012

Worker struck unmarked power cable in ‘safe location’

A worker suffered burns to 60 per cent of his body after striking an underground cable during construction work on the new Crossrail railway.

The 63-year-old, who wants to remain anonymous, was working for Fugro Engineering Services Ltd when the incident took place on 7 February 2008. The company was the principal contractor responsible for delivering a series of ground investigations as part of the multi-billion-pound project.

On the day of the incident, the worker was using a hydraulic breaker to create an inspection pit so he could make a borehole to check that the earth was strong enough to support railway tracks.

Before he began the work a contractor had used a scanner to locate underground services. He marked a number of locations where electrical lines were present but failed to do so in all areas. He marked an area outside 1 Hanover Street in London as safe to create a borehole, despite the existence of a power line 1.5 metres beneath the surface.

When the ground-worker began digging the pit, the breaker struck the 11,000-volt cable and caused an explosion. He suffered 60 per cent burns across his body and has been unable to return to work owing to his injuries.

HSE inspector Lisa Chappell explained that the company was in possession of plans, which highlighted the exact location of underground services, but this document was not kept at the site. It also failed to ensure that markings were made in every location where underground services were identified.

Inspector Chappell said: “It is completely foreseeable that electric cables would be present in a busy London street, and there is well-established guidance and training to ensure digging is carried out safely.

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Rob
Rob
12 years ago

For what is a reasonably foreseeable risk the fines do not seem appropriate. More so that it should be used to send out a warning to the industry that this is a real risk that should be more adequately controlled. It is good to hear that the worker survived.