Two companies prosecuted after one worker killed and another seriously injured

Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has prosecuted two companies following a tragic incident at a biogas facility which caused the death of one worker and serious injuries to another. The workers were electrocuted when a cherry picker struck an 11,000‑volt overhead powerline whilst it was being used to lift the lid from a tank to clear a blockage.

The HSE found that the company that operated the site had been warned months earlier to relocate the overhead line but failed to act or introduce basic safety controls such as exclusion zones, height limits, or proper supervision. The contracting company’s risk assessment, training, and oversight were also deemed inadequate.

The company operating the site pleaded guilty to regulation 3(1)(a) of the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 by virtue of Regulation 14, having failed to ensure that persons carrying out work at the site were not working on or near a live conductor without reasonable and suitable precautions in place to prevent injury and was fined £51,000.

The contracting company instructed to clear the blockage pleaded guilty to offences under Regulation 3(1) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 and Regulation 4(1) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 and was fined £30,000.