Company Fined After Delivery Driver Electrocuted
A company in Berkshire has been fined £30,000 after a father-of-four was electrocuted.
Levi Alleyne (known as ‘Chunky’) lost his life while delivering crushed concrete at a construction site on Swallowfield Road, Reading, on 16 November 2020.
Chunky was killed after the crane arm of his lorry came into close contact with an overhead power line, which then created an electrical charge.
The 41-year-old later passed away from his injuries.
A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found BBM Contracts Limited, the principal contractor, ordered the delivery and chose the area where the crushed concrete would be delivered. However, the delivery area was located below an 11kv overhead powerline. The company was aware of the presence of overhead powerlines but did not consider whether there was an alternative way of working which avoided them, nor did it put in place demarcations or warnings. An alternative delivery route was subsequently used following the incident.
BBM Contracts Limited, of Aldbourne Avenue, Earley, Reading, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 13(1) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015. The company was fined £30,000 at Reading Magistrates’ Court on 20 June 2024.
HSE principal inspector Georgina Symons said: “This tragic incident led to the death of a father-of-four. This death might have been prevented if the contractor had correctly identified and managed the risks involved.
“The dangers associated with overhead power lines are well-known and a wealth of advice and guidance is freely available from HSE and other organisations.”
This prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Samantha Tiger and supported by HSE paralegal officer Helen Jacob.
Overhead Power Lines
What you need to know
The law says that any work near electric overhead power lines must be carefully planned and carried out to avoid danger from accidental contact or close proximity to the lines.
The precautions necessary will depend on the nature of the work at the site and will be required even when work near the line is of short duration.
Accidental contact with live overhead power lines kills people and causes many serious injuries every year. People are also harmed when a person or object gets too close to a line and a flashover occurs. Work involving high vehicles or long equipment is particularly high risk, such as;
In Construction – Lorry mounted cranes (such as Hiabs or Palingers), Mobile Elevated Work Platforms (MEWP’s), scaffold poles, tipper vehicles, cranes, ladders:
- Going close to a live overhead line can result in a flashover that may kill. Touching a power line is not necessary for danger.
- Voltages lower than 230 volts can kill and injure people.
- Do not mistake overhead power lines on wooden poles for telephone wires.
- Electricity can bypass wood, plastic or rubber, if it is damp or dirty, and cause fatal shocks. Don’t rely on gloves or rubber boots to protect you.
The guidance note “Avoiding danger from overhead power lines” describes how to work safely near overhead power lines in a range of industries.
The Electricity Networks Association (ENA) publications:
- Safety Information for Farmers and Agricultural Contractors.
- Watch It! In the Vicinity of Overhead Lines.
- Safety Information for Farmers Utilising Polytunnels.
- Safe tree working in proximity to overhead electric lines ENA Engineering Recommendation G55/1.
- The ENA also provide advice on what to do if machinery comes into contact with an overhead power line.
What you need to do
Plan and manage work near electric overhead power lines so that risks from accidental contact or close proximity to the lines are adequately controlled.
Safety precautions will depend on the nature of the work and will be essential even when work near the line is of short duration.
Safety can be achieved by a combination of measures:
- Planning and preparation
- Eliminating the danger
- Controlling the access
- Controlling the work
Planning and preparation
The first step is to find out whether there is any overhead power line within or immediately next to the work area, or across any access route.
Information will be available from the local electricity supplier or Distribution Network Operator (DNO). If any overhead lines are found, you should assume that they are live unless proved otherwise by their owners.
If there are any overhead lines over the work area, near the site boundaries, or over access roads to the work area, consult the owners of the lines so that the proposed plan of work can be discussed.
Allow sufficient time for lines to be diverted or made dead, or for other precautions to be taken as described below.
Eliminating the danger
You can eliminate the danger by:
- Avoidance – find out if the work really has to be carried out under or near overhead lines and can’t be done somewhere else. Make sure materials (such as spoil) are not placed near overhead lines, and temporary structures are erected outside safe clearance distances.
- Diversion – arrange for overhead lines to be diverted away from the work area.
- Isolation – arrange for lines to be made dead while the work is being done.
In some cases you may need to use a suitable combination of these measures, particularly where overhead lines pass over permanent work areas.
If the danger cannot be eliminated, you should manage the risk by controlling access to, and work beneath, overhead power lines.
Controlling the access
Where there is no scheduled work or requirement for access under the lines, barriers should be erected at the correct clearance distance away from the line to prevent close approach. The safe clearance distance should be ascertained from the Distribution Network Operator (DNO).
HSE guidance documents Avoidance of danger from overhead electric power lines and Electricity at Work: Forestry and Arboriculture also provide advice on safe clearance distances and how barriers should be constructed. Where there is a requirement to pass beneath the lines, defined passageways should be made.
The danger area should be made as small as possible by restricting the width of the passageway to the minimum needed for the safe crossing of plant. The passageway should cross the route of the overhead line at right angles if possible.
Controlling the work
If work beneath live overhead power lines cannot be avoided, barriers, goal posts and warning notices should be provided. Where field work is taking place it may be impractical to erect barriers and goal posts around the overhead lines – these are more appropriate for use at gateways, on tracks and at access points to farm yards.
The following precautions may also be needed to manage the risk:
- Clearance – the safe clearance required beneath the overhead lines should be found by contacting the Distribution Network Operator (DNO).
- Exclusion – vehicles, plant, machinery, equipment, or materials that could reach beyond the safe clearance distance should not be taken near the line.
- Modifications – Vehicles such as cranes, excavators and tele-handlers should be modified by the addition of suitable physical restraints so that they cannot reach beyond the safe clearance distances, measures should be put in place to ensure these restraints are effective and cannot be altered or tampered with.
- Maintenance – operators of high machinery should be instructed not carry out any work on top of the machinery near overhead power lines.
- Additions – cranes with telescopic or fly jibs may need additional restraining devices to prevent alteration in length of jib or angle of fly jib.
- Supervision – access for plant and materials and the working of plant should be under the direct supervision of a suitable person appointed to ensure that safety precautions are observed.
What to do if you come into contact with an OHPL
- If part of a vehicle or load is in contact with an OHPL, you should remain in the cab and inform the Distribution Network Operator (DNO) immediately (stick the number in a visible place in the cab and keep it on your mobile phone).
- Warn others to stay away.
- Try to drive clear. If this is not possible, and you need to leave the vehicle to escape fire, JUMP CLEAR – do not dismount by climbing down the steps.
- Never try to disentangle equipment until the owner of the line has confirmed that it has been de-energised and made safe.
Warning: Contact with an overhead power line may cause the power to ‘trip out’ temporarily and it may be re-energised automatically, without warning.
Your local Distribution Network Operator (DNO) can generally supply stickers describing emergency procedures and containing contact numbers that can be stuck in the cabs of vehicles likely to be used near overhead power lines.
Types of overhead power lines and their heights
Most overhead lines have wires supported on metal towers/pylons or wooden poles – they are often called ‘transmission lines’ or ‘distribution lines’. Some examples are shown in Figures 1–3.
Most high-voltage overhead lines, ie greater than 1000 V (1000 V = 1 kV) have wires that are bare and uninsulated but some have wires with a light plastic covering or coating. All high-voltage lines should be treated as though they are uninsulated. While many low-voltage overhead lines (ie less than 1 kV) have bare uninsulated wires, some have wires covered with insulating material.
However, this insulation can sometimes be in poor condition or, with some older lines, it may not act as effective insulation; in these cases you should treat the line in the same way as an uninsulated line. If in any doubt, you should take a precautionary approach and consult the owner of the line.
There is a legal minimum height for overhead lines which varies according to the voltage carried. Generally, the higher the voltage, the higher the wires will need to be above ground (see Figure 4).
Equipment such as transformers and fuses attached to wooden poles and other types of supports will often be below these heights. There are also recommended minimum clearances between the wires and structures such as buildings and lamp posts.
The law requires that work may be carried out in close proximity to live overhead lines only when there is no alternative and only when the risks are acceptable and can be properly controlled. You should use HSE guidance to prepare a risk assessment that is specific to the site, link can be found at:
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