Council fined following worker death

A local authority has been dealt a financial penalty following an incident in which one of its workers lost his life.

During a recent hearing at St Albans magistrates' court, Dacorum borough council was ordered to pay a fine of £37,500, along with costs of £17,500, after it pleaded guilty to health and safety breaches.

The accident occurred in November 2006 when employee Ben Richardson, who worked on a housing repair team, was called out to help council plumbers fix a burst water main.

The 29-year-old clamped an electricity cable, believing it to be a domestic water main.

It ruptured and sent a lethal current through his body.

"I hope this tragic incident makes it clear to employers that they need to take positive steps to risk assess the obvious hazards involved with underground work - such as electricity and gas - and to manage them," stated Health and Safety Executive inspector Trevor Morrow.

According to figures produced by the executive, 241 workers lost their lives in 2006-07.

16/07/2008 15:46