A wind farm management services company has been fined £80,000 after a worker was seriously injured by an electrical flashover.
Natural Power Services Limited had sent the then 38-year-old to carry out maintenance work in an electrical substation within the Tom Nan Clach Wind Farm, near Inverness on June 23 2020. His injuries were life-changing and have required multiple surgeries.
An HSE investigation found that the incident happened following a departure from the prepared switching programme. This meant work was allowed to be carried out on one of the two electrical cabinets while the other remained live, allowing part of the electrical system to be energised during the maintenance work.
The investigation found that had the initial switching programme prepared by Natural Power Services Limited been correctly followed, the incident would not have occurred.
The company did not have a suitable system or process in place to check or review switching programmes to ensure that the procedures were correctly observed at all times, or to approve any changes to the initial switching programmes.
Natural Power Services Limited pleaded guilty to safety breaches and was fined £80,000 at Inverness Sheriff Court last week.
Speaking after the hearing, an HSE spokesperson said: “This was a wholly avoidable incident caused by the failure of the company to implement a safe system of work.
“The company should have ensured there was a suitably rigorous process for checking and reviewing the work. This would have ensured those doing the work were adhering to switching programmes in a manner that was suitable and safe.
“This would have been a reasonably practicable measure to address the risks arising from the subsequent introduction of additional parallel works that might interfere with the previously planned switching programme.”
from Construction Enquirer https://ift.tt/ajWsDR6