The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has warned the electrical contracting industry of the tragic consequences which can result when safe working procedures are not practiced when working on live electrical systems.

The warning follows the death of 26 year-old Michael Adamson, of Edinburgh, who was electrocuted in August 2005 when he came into contact with a live conductor in a cable on which he was working.     

Mitie Engineering Services (Edinburgh) Ltd, Roddinglaw Business Park, Edinburgh were fined £300,000 at Dundee Sheriff Court today after being found guilty of charges under Section 2 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 at a hearing on Tuesday 14 October.  Two company directors and the project manager were acquitted of charges under Section 37 of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.

Mr Adamson, a qualified electrician, was working at the JJB Sports Centre and Retail Outlet, which was under construction at the Gallagher Retail Park in Dundee.  He was installing cables, fixtures and fittings when the incident happened.  Despite being labeled ‘not in use’, the cable he was working on was live; it had not been safely and securely isolated from the electricity supply. 

Mr Adamson was not provided with the necessary test equipment to prove the cable was dead, nor the means to securely isolate the circuit.

HSE Principal Inspector Jim Skilling commented after the case:

"The Health and Safety Executive has found that across the electrical contracting industry there is widespread violation of the safe working practices. 

Each year there are around 2000 incidents at work involving electrical injury, including electric shock, and about 20 of these result in fatalities.  The industry’s complacency in accepting dangerous practices is startling.

Michael Adamson’s death could have been prevented had his employer ensured that safe working practices were being carried out in accordance with the company’s own written procedures.  Managers and supervisors in this industry must take active steps to ensure that their electricians work safely."

HSE has since supported SELECT (Scotland's trade association for the electrical, electronics and communications systems industry), Electrical Safety Council, Electrical Contractors’ Association, National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contractors, and the Institution of Engineering and Technology in publishing targeted guidance on safe isolation procedures in the electrical contracting industry. 

However, the information on safe working practices in this guidance is not new and was well known to the electrical contracting industry for a long time prior to Mr Adamson’s death.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) today warned about the dangers of falling from vehicles following the death of a Central Scotland tanker driver who fell three metres from the top of his vehicle because his employer failed to provide a safe place to work.

The warning came after the employer Carntyne Transport Ltd of Glasgow pleaded guilty to a charge laid under Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, which requires employers to provide a safe place and safe systems of work.  

At Cupar Sheriff Court yesterday, they were fined a total of £5000.    

At 6.30am on 9 February 2007, the driver of the tanker, Mr James Robert Hutchinson from Tillicoultry, Clackmannanshire was found by two farm workers.  It appeared that he had fallen three metres from the midpoint of his tanker after setting the valves for a delivery of liquid animal feed.  There was no safety rail on the driver’s side of the vehicle.

HSE Inspector Robert Fraser said:

"Mr Hutchinson’s death was entirely preventable and arose from the clear failure to carry out a risk assessment and ensure there was safe access to the top of the vehicle.

"Although Workplace Transport injuries form a fairly small part of all accidents at work, they are more likely to result in serious injuries and much more likely to lead to fatalities. 

"HSE figures have shown that every week one person dies from a slip, trip or fall at work and every 25 minutes, someone breaks or fractures a bone at work. This is unacceptable and employers should ensure that they do everything in their power to prevent this type of accident occurring."

Figures issued by the Health and Safety Executive today revealed that every week 20 tradesmen die from asbestos-related diseases, and this number is set to increase.

Former tradesman and England and Arsenal footballing legend, Ian Wright, has given his support to help highlight the importance of the Health and Safety Executive's (HSE) "Asbestos:The Hidden Killer" campaign which is running throughout October and November and aims to reduce the rising death rate by educating today's tradesmen about the danger that asbestos presents to them. 

Ian Wright was shocked when he learnt that 20 tradesmen a week were dying from having been exposed to asbestos in their working lives.  "I used to be a plasterer before becoming a professional footballer, and was really surprised to learn that the number of deaths is actually on the increase year on year.  If that was footballers dying, the whole of the premiership would be wiped out in just three months." 

Steve Coldrick, Director of the HSE's Disease Reduction Programme says, "We need to educate tradesmen about how asbestos and its dangers are relevant to them.  We want them to change the way they work so that they don't put their lives at risk."

"I can really relate to the situations tradesmen find themselves in and urge them to take care," added campaign ambassador, Ian Wright.

Steve Coldrick explained why a major campaign has been launched to raise awareness of the real risk that tradesmen face, "Exposure to asbestos is the biggest single cause of work-related deaths, with around 4,000 people a year dying from asbestos-related disease. The overall number of deaths is rising because a large number of workers who have already been exposed to asbestos dust around 40 years ago will go on to develop mesothelioma, a terminal cancer or other asbestos related diseases."

1,000 (25%) of the 4,000 now dying each year are tradesmen and while the number of deaths in traditional industries has plateaued, deaths in trades continue to rise.

"The HSE campaign is vital because research shows that only one in ten tradesmen know that exposure to asbestos can prove fatal" says Jill Morrell, Head of Public Affairs at the British Lung Foundation. "The asbestos-related cancer mesothelioma is a cruel disease which as yet has no cure. We must do all we can to prevent more people dying from this preventable disease"

Many workers, particularly tradesmen, think that they are not personally at risk of exposure to asbestos and the diseases it can cause. They think that since asbestos was banned many years ago, the problem has been dealt with and therefore it is not relevant to them. The reality is very different.   

Even today asbestos presents a real and relevant risk to plumbers, joiners, electricians and many other maintenance workers. Asbestos may be present in any building constructed or refurbished before the year 2000, and it is estimated that around 500,000 non-domestic buildings could contain asbestos. These buildings all need repair and maintenance work from time to time and when the asbestos fibres are disturbed e.g. by drilling or cutting, they are likely to be inhaled as a deadly dust.

If asbestos-containing material is in good condition and in a position where it cannot be disturbed or damaged, it is safer to leave it where it is and ensure that the risks are managed. Those responsible for managing building maintenance and repair of non-domestic buildings, have a duty to inform tradesmen if asbestos is present in a building they are working in. Depending on the type of asbestos-containing material, and providing they have been trained and the proper controls are in place, they may be able to work on the project. Asbestos sprayed coatings, board or lagging on pipes and boilers - should only be tackled by licensed workers.

Posters and radio adverts will encourage tradesmen to get a free asbestos information pack by calling 0845 345 0055 or by visiting www.hse.gov.uk/hiddenkiller for further information. The free information pack provides information on the dangers of asbestos, highlighting where asbestos-containing materials may be present in buildings, what they look like, how they should be dealt with and where to find training.

Knowles Loss Adjusters has teamed up with Mitchell & Co Solicitors Agents to form a joint venture dedicated to road traffic accident investigations.

The business, Knowles Mitchell & Co, which will combine the existing RTA divisions and expertise of both firms, will have a board split between director Daren Hales and George Gager of Mitchell & Co and David Parker and Patrick Lineen of Knowles.

Mr Gager said: "Both companies have proven track records in providing professional services to their insurer and legal clients in respect of RTA liability investigation, fraud investigation and surveillance.

"With the investment of new internal systems we are now able to further assist our clients in obtaining relevant information at an early stage to enable liability decisions to be made within the time scales set out in the new reforms recently recommended by the Ministry of Justice."

Mr Parker added: "Knowles has been looking to expand its side of the RTA investigations and having known and admired Mitchell & Co for a great many years and it seemed the natural way to go forward.

"Knowles Loss Adjusters will remain the same and naturally will carry on serving our clients with the quality they are accustomed to, in respect of construction, property and general liability claims services."