A scaffolding company has been fined £160,000 after a crane operator was fatally electrocuted when the crane he was operating struck an overhead powerline
Scaffolding company, ASL Access Scaffold Limited has been fined after the crane operator was fatally electrocuted whilst operating a lorry mounted crane.
Cardiff Crown Court heard how on 17 May 2016, ASL Access Scaffold Limited employee Martin Tilby was fatally electrocuted when the crane he was operating struck an overhead powerline whilst he was unloading materials in a field at Cowbridge, South Glamorgan.
HSE investigation
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that no risk assessment had been carried out in the field where the incident happened, and no control measures were put in place to prevent contact with the overhead powerlines.
ASL Access Scaffold Limited was found guilty of breaching Sections 2 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and LOLER Regulation 8 (1).
The scaffolding company was fined £160,000 and ordered to pay costs of £45,000.
Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Damian Corbett, said: “This death was easily preventable, and the risk should have been identified.
“Employers should make sure they properly assess and apply effective control measures to minimise the risk from striking overhead powerlines.
“This death would have been preventable had an effective system for managing unloading materials been in place.”
