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12 Apr 20221 minute read

Contractor and subcontractor fined after cable strike

ECAtoday
Contractor and subcontractor fined after cable strike

Siemens Energy and VolkerInfra have been fined after a worker cut through a buried cable during construction work at a substation in Chadderton, near Manchester.

On September 17 2019, an employee of VolkerInfra, who was excavating phases for laying a 275kV cable, struck an existing live cable close by with the excavator.

The contact resulted in multiple explosions which caused blistering to the worker’s retina.

Construction Enquirer reports that an HSE investigation found the permit to dig had not been properly completed by Siemens Energy. It was also found neither they, nor the subcontractors had checked the cable markings prior to work commencing.

Siemens Energy Ltd of Camberley, Surrey pleaded guilty to breaching safety regulations and was fined £900,000 and ordered to pay costs of £6,327.52.

Volkerinfra Ltd of Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire also pleaded guilty and was fined £180,000 and ordered to pay costs of £6,430.72.

HSE Inspector Rebecca Vaudrey said to Construction Enquirer after the hearing:” Those in control of work have a responsibility to devise safe methods of working and to provide the necessary information, instruction and training to their workers in the safe system of working.”

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