Worker suffers 60% burns in Crossrail accident

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An employee of Fugro Engineering Services sustained life-threatening burns after striking a high voltage electric cable during construction work on the new Crossrail railway.

The engineering company was appointed principal contractor to deliver a series of ground investigations, known as Package 16, as part of the project.

At a sentencing hearing, the Central Criminal Court heard that in February 2008, a Fugro employee was using a hydraulic breaker to create an inspection pit for a borehole outside 1 Hanover Street, London, when he struck a high voltage electric cable.

The employee, who was 63 at the time of the incident, suffered severe injuries as he was treated for 60 per cent burns.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive found that the system of work in place at the time of the incident did not ensure that the roles of those involved in the project were clearly defined.

After the hearing HSE inspector Lisa Chappell said:

“Had Fugro Engineering Services provided the correct training, supervision and a safe system of work, proportionate to the level of risk involved, then this serious incident could have been avoided.”

Fugro Engineering Services Ltd had pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 in relation to the incident.

The company was fined £55,000 and ordered to pay £30,000 in costs.

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