A North East company was fined £900K in November after a sub-contractor suffered an electric shock when he cut through a live cable, believing the equipment to be electrically isolated.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found the company had failed to adequately plan and manage the work carried out by its contractors who were removing some equipment. The contractor started work to remove equipment having been told it was safe to do so. After the hearing, HSE Inspector Shuna Rank said "This incident could so easily have been avoided if the work had been properly planned, the risks identified and steps taken to ensure that all equipment was electrically safe before the contractors started work at the site. Fortunately, in this case, the injured person has made a full recovery, however the outcome could have been fatal."
Lock-out, tag-out is established best practice in avoiding a serious accident such as this. A LOTO system will effectively lock-out and tag-out your equipment, ensuring that its power supply is fully isolated, locked-out, and that all staff and contractors are aware of its status prior to maintenance, repair work and inspection.
Tags: Health & Safety