All registered contractors are subject to periodic assessments. The purpose of these assessments is to check the business is maintaining its technical standards and is continuing to comply with the NICEIC Rules Relating to Registration.

In addition to fines under the Corporate Manslaughter legislation, individual directors are also likely to face an increased threat of disqualification following the conviction for health and safety offences generally. Recent research from Warwick University showed directors were 300 times more likely to be disqualified for financial offences than those of health and safety. The HSC has now urged the HSE inspectors to seek this penalty from courts more often when prosecuting cases. Like everything only time will tell, and it will not be long before a test case comes forth.

Fined for failure to comply with electrical improvement notice

Presswarm Double Glazing of Cheshunt has been fined £9,000 for failing to comply with an improvement notice issued by the HSE. The notice required the company to improve its regime for electrical testing of both it’s electrical systems and electrical equipment. This lack of maintenance rendered the workplace unfit, it was alleged.

The company was prosecuted under section 21 of the Health & Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and also had to pay costs. Section 21 is the section of the ACT that confers the power upon inspectors to issue Improvement Notices.

Construction company prosecuted after worker is electrocuted

CFR Group plc has been prosecuted at the Central Criminal Court after a 28-year-old employee was electrocuted at a site in London. The employee who died was wiring a water unit when another employee in a power switch room turned on the electricity.

The company was fined just over £100,000 with £33,000 in costs.

SEPTEMBER

Electrical flash burns to 3 people land company in court

The Health & Safety Executive has prosecuted Skanska Rasleigh Weatherfoil Ltd for breaches of section 2(1) and section 3(1) of the Health & Safety at Work etc Act 1974

The company was fined £30,000 for each breach and ordered to pay £13,369 in costs.

Per test price - some companies have in the past charged per “test” not per appliance, you see a charge of 50p per test and think, that’s cheap then find out they carry out 4 “tests” per appliance, in reality that appliance just cost £2.00.

Charging for a re-test after a fail - Firstly companies say they are fitting fuses, plugs & carrying out remakes for free. Then when any of these are required the item is failed, the rectification work is carried out and the appliance re-tested. Thus charging you twice for the test.

Charging different prices for different appliances - this seems to becoming endemic of the industry, an example recently was a customer was charged an extra 15p per metre to test a 50 metre extension lead plus the original test. They were charged over £8.00 for that appliance!

Personal Injury

(i) Electric Shock

Electric shock is the effect produced on the body, particularly its nervous system, by an electrical current passing through it. The extent of injury depends upon the current strength which in turn depends upon the voltage, the path the current takes through the body, the surface resistance of the skin (much reduced when wet) and several other factors. A voltage as low as 15V can produce discernible shock effects and 70 V has been known to cause death. But, generally speaking, fatalities involve domestic voltages (240Vac) or higher and currents of 25-30 milliamps. The most common cause of death from shock is suffocation and accordingly it is highly desirable that those dealing with electricity should be trained in resuscitation. Minor shocks in themselves may not be serious but they can lead to serious consequences; for example, the associated muscle contraction may lead to falls from working platforms or ladders.

(ii) Burns

These are caused by the passage of heavy current through the body or by direct contact with an electrically heated surface. They may also be caused by the intense heat generated by arcing from a short circuit. Electrical burns are a very unpleasant form of burn and require immediate medical attention.

Explosions

The main causes of electrically induced explosions are:-

(i) In situations where flammable gases or vapours are present so that a spark could initiate an event. In such environments all electrical equipment should be flame-proofed.

(ii) Where electrical arcing takes place in a confined space causing intense local heating with consequent bursting of the enclosure by the expansion of trapped air.

Fires

A large percentage of fires are of electrical origin, caused by one or more of the following:-

(i) Sparks

A spark arises from a sudden discharge through the air between two conductors, or from one conductor to earth. The current produced is usually small so that serious fires are unlikely unless explosive gases or vapours are present, or highly flammable material is in contact with the conductor.

(ii) Arcs

An arc is a much larger and brighter discharge where the current flow may be hundreds of amps. It usually arises when a circuit is broken or when a conductor melts or fractures leaving a gap across which the current continues to flow. When an arc is struck, the air in the vicinity becomes ionised and forms a conductor which may allow current to flow to a nearby metal framework. Any combustible material in the vicinity could therefore lead to a fire.

(iii) Short circuits

A short circuit is formed when the current finds a path from the outward conductor wire to the return wire other than through the equipment to which it is connected. The current flow may be large because of the low resistance of the leads and arcing often occurs at a contact between the conductors. Insulation may therefore be burned and set fire to adjacent flammable material.