A male worker could be in line for a hefty accident compensation payout after he was seriously injured in an incident at work.
The man was employed as a subcontracted mechanical fitter at Ridgeons Ltd, a timber merchants with branches across the East of England, when the accident happened in 2008.
He was in the process of fixing an overhead crane system and was halfway up a ladder in a bid to gain access to the crane. However, whilst he was on the metal ladder, he accidentally came into contact with a live conductor cable – which was neither marked for safety or isolated as it should have been.
The main cable that was connected to the crane carried a large amount of power – three phrase 415v electricity – and the worker suffered a serious electric shock as a result of touching it.
The shock caused the employee to plunge more than five metres to the concrete floor below, leading to a broken ankle and heel and a fractured vertebra in his spine. He also suffered burns to his hands.
Following the work accident, the Health and Safety Executive prosecuted Ridgeons Ltd. The firm pleaded guilty to breaching the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, and were made to pay a fine of £5,000 at Bury St Edmunds Magistrates' Court.
A Health and Safety Executive inspector said, "Companies are reminded to ensure work carried out by subcontractors on their behalf follows safe working practices."