04/02/2011 - Company fined for 33,000-volt shock
A steel company has been ordered to pay £96,000 for failing to protect a worker who was burned in a 33,000-volt shock.
Electrician Henry Truszkowski, 51, of Pontypool, South Wales, suffered serious burns while carrying out maintenance work.
He was working for Cardiff-based Celsa Manufacturing (UK) Ltd at its city plant when he was electrocuted in July 2008.
A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecution was due to take place today.
But the company admitted failing to properly safeguard high voltage electrical conductors under Section 2(1) of the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974.
A judge at Cardiff Crown Court fined the company £80,000 for the breach and ordered it to pay costs of £16,600.
Mr Truszkowski had been working alone when he came into contact with exposed, live electrical conductors.
He was cleaning the conductors and circuit breaker units in a control room at Celsa's Castle Works plant at the time.
The court heard that normally the room would be securely isolated to prevent the re-energising of conductors during maintenance.
But that had not happened, and Mr Truszkowski received a massive electric shock when he touched them.
He was hospitalised for several weeks and is yet to return to work.
Copyright © Press Association 2011
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