Construction Sector
Property firm fined following fireball accident
Health & Safety update 12/12/2011
Birmingham-based property firm RVB Investments UK Ltd has been
prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) following a
serious workplace accident.
Two workers were searching for an underground water leak at an
industrial site owned by the company in Telford when the incident
occurred in August last year.
The men were told to dig into the ground using an electric
drill, but accidentally hit a live 1,000 volt cable upon doing so.
A large fireball engulfed both the workers and they suffered severe
burns to their faces, hands and arms. Following the accident, the
men were airlifted to hospital and treated for their injuries.
The HSE carried out a thorough investigation into the accident
and discovered that the fireball’s power equated to 4.3 million
watts of energy. So intense was the heat that the metal tool being
used by the men was vaporised.
The HSE found that the firm had failed to assess the risks
involved in the drilling and had also failed to ensure the safety
of their workers. The men had received no training relating to
procedures for drilling into the ground.
RVB Investments UK Ltd pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1)
of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and was fined £10,000
plus £4,420 in costs.
Nic Rigby, HSE principal inspector, said, “As this case
demonstrates, hitting a live electrical cable is a very real danger
and can easily result in deaths or serious injuries. Companies must
take measures to protect workers who are digging into the ground,
where gas and electricity services may be found.”
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