Canterbury City Scaffolding
On November 29, 2021, Steven Gilmore, a scaffolder for Canterbury City Scaffolding Ltd, suffered a severe 11,000-volt electric shock while working on a temporary roof structure at an open-air drinks depot in Crawley. He struck a live power line with a six-metre scaffold tube, resulting in life-changing electrical burns to both hands and a badly broken leg from falling over five metres.
The company was fined £50,000, and its director, Ian Pepper, received a suspended prison sentence of 18 weeks, along with 200 hours of unpaid work and 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the company failed to properly risk assess the high-risk job near the high voltage line.
The HSE highlighted that no attempt was made by the company or Mr. Pepper to consult UK Power Networks about the line voltage and safe clearance distances. Despite being aware of the proximity to the high voltage line, precautions to prevent injury were not implemented.