18/01/2023
This is why we do what we do
A civil engineering firm has been fined more than £4m after its staff twice struck overhead powerlines while working on the M6 motorway.
This is the latest overhead power line strike (which could easily resulted in a serious injury or fatality) - working near overhead power lines is a very high risk activity - We have been approached by the company involved to assist in creating a new Permit system which will go a long way to avoid this type of incident in the future - please contact with myself or Gareth Newcombe at SHOC Consultancy Ltd if your organisation requires any advice and guidance regarding working in close proximity to any overhead power lines or underground utilities
https://lnkd.in/eTzAp2wQ
A Civil engineering firm has been fined more than £4m after its workers twice struck overhead powerlines while working on the M6 motorway causing cables to land in the path of passing vehicles.
In one incident, an overhead cable the workers brought down hit a lorry. In an earlier incident, a cable landed on the motorway.
An investigation by workplace regulator the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found after one incident workers failed to immediately tell the network provider Scottish Power about the incident.
Both incidents happened on overnight road works part of the smart motorway scheme between junctions 16 and 18 near Sandbach in Cheshire.
During the first incident, a team of three workers were working a nightshift on 28 March 2018. The workers were clearing tarmac from the hard shoulder and loading a truck with a digger. As the driver moved the truck along with an attached loading bucket raised it struck and severed a 11kV overhead powerline that landed in the motorway and in a nearby field. The company failed to immediately tell Scottish Power, which meant the cable was reenergised a number of times while it was lying on the motorway and vehicles were passing.
During the second incident, another team of three workers from a sub-contractor were removing a temporary motorway barrier on 21 January 2019. The crane arm attached to their lorry loader struck an overhead cable which led to an unmarked 11kV powerline being hit and snapped by an oncoming lorry.
HSE found that inadequate planning meant the vehicle used in the first incident was unsuitable despite other more suitable vehicles being available. There was also no task-specific risk assessment available for the workers.
In the second incident, the workers said that they were unaware of the overhead hazards.
In relation to the first incident, the company pleaded guilty to breaching Sections 2(1) and 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. In relation to the second incident, they pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and Regulation 13(1) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015.
In total, the company were fined £4.415m and ordered to pay costs of £87,759.60 at Manchester Crown Court on 12 January 2023.
HSE inspector Mike Lisle said: “This is a significant fine reflecting the seriousness of the failures here. The company’s failure to plan the work properly and provide an adequate risk assessment put its workers and those using the motorway in significant danger.”
Civil engineering firm fined £4.4m following M6 works 13th January 202316th January 2023 by Joe Hagan-Duckers ShareCivil engineering firm Kier has been fined more than £4m after its workers twice struck overhead powerlines while working on the M6 motorway causing cables to land in the path of pass...
