10.11.2006

Accident costs £230,000

Francis Michael Lyons, trading as Frank Lyons Plant Services, of Felstead, Essex and Lyons Landfill Ltd were each fined £80,000 plus £35,000 costs at St Albans Crown Court this week.

The HSE prosecution follows a joint investigation with Hertfordshire Police into the death of a self-employed truck driver, Nathaniel Hugh Scollan, 56, (also known as Hugh Breffni), who was visiting a combined quarry and landfill site at Hollingson Meads Quarry, Pole Hole, Gilston, Harlow, on the 10th September 2003.

Scollan was electrocuted when the grab of his loader crane came into contact with overhead power lines. The investigation revealed that Scollan parked beneath the lines when waiting for a load of ballast from the quarry. He apparently raised the cranes boom and sustained fatal injuries from the subsequent electric shock.

The site was poorly laid out with stockpiles encroaching near the overhead lines, inadequate signs, poorly designed crossing points and inadequate measures taken to keep plant clear of the lines.

The company and Lyons were both committed to trial after entering Not Guilty pleas at Hertford Magistrates Court, in January, to charges brought against them by HSE under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 (HSWA).

HSE Principal Inspector, Mike Gibb, said:
"This was a tragic death that could have easily been prevented. Operators of plant may make mistakes and all reasonably practicable steps should be taken to ensure their errors don't result in loss of life or serious injury.

"I encourage all employers to carefully plan and put into place sensible precautions to prevent their workers, contractors or visitors to their site coming into contact with overhead power lines. Good management will reduce the risk of accidents happening.

"It is also important to remember that vehicles or mobile plant do not need to strike the overhead line for injury to occur. Electricity can arc across a surprising distance depending on the voltage and conditions."


Guidance on electricity in quarries and a leaflet about safe working near overhead power lines in agriculture is available on the HSE website at http://www.hse.gov.uk