Company And Manager Fined Over Work Accident

RVB Investments and one of its managers have been fined and ordered to pay costs in relation to an incident in which two workers suffered serious burns in an accident at work in Telford.

The company’s employees Eamonn Osborne and David Rawlins were hurt when they were instructed to use an electrical drill to dig at a spot outside a unit owned by the company at Halesfield 5 in the town.

However, they were engulfed in a fireball when the drill hit a live 1,000v cable. The serious burns they suffered to their hands, arms and faces were so severe that there were initially doubts that Mr Osborne would survive.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive revealed that RVB Investments failed to assess the risks and also devise a safe system of work in order to ensure there were no electrical cables nearby. The two workers had also not received training in relation to the work.

Stephen Nye, Partner and workplace injury specialist at Irwin Mitchell, said: “This case highlights just how important it is for employers to ensure they do everything in their power to protect workers from any potential risks involved in their work.

“Companies need to recognise the huge consequences of not using proper risk assessments and failing to train their employees to the most suitable level.

“We would urge employers to learn lessons from this case and take every necessary step to ensure health and safety is a top priority for their staff. Work accidents have a huge impact on victims and we hope the same mistakes seen here will not be seen again.”

If you have suffered a burn, laceration or scarring due to a workplace accident, our accident at work solicitors could help you to secure compensation. See our Burns, Scars & Lacerations At Work Claims page for more information.