Pacestone Construction Fined Over Incident

Businesses involved in work which brings their employees in close proximity to power cables need to do more to protect them from the risks, a top workplace injury lawyer has claimed.

Solihull construction firm Pacestone Construction has been fined £13,000 and ordered to pay costs of £3,870 after a worker struck an 11kv cable while using a pneumatic drill to dig a trench at a Walsall housing development in August last year.

The unnamed worker suffered severe burns and needed emergency treatment following the incident.

It is the latest of several cable-related cases to be reported by the Health and Safety Executive in recent weeks, as both a Birmingham heating firm and a Teesside social housing landlord have also been fined after staff struck cables while carrying out their duties.

David Urpeth, who deals with accidents at work claims for Irwin Mitchell, said: “Too many workplace injuries occur due to errors which could have been avoided and it is a serious concern that so many cases have emerged due to contact with underground power cables.

“I hope that this recent spate of fines serves as strong notice to firms that they must adopt safe working practices when working in areas where power cables may be present.

“It is unacceptable that employees should face such risks when simply going about their everyday tasks.”