Worker suffers 33,000-volt shock

An electrician suffered serious burns in a 33,000-volt shock while carrying out maintenance work at a steel plant, it has been revealed.

Henry Truszkowski suffered the massive electric shock in July 2008 as he was cleaning high-voltage electrical conductors and circuit breaker units work at Celsa Manufacturing (UK) Ltd’s plant in Cardiff. The 51-year-old, from Pontypool South Wales, was working alone in a control room at Celsa’s Castle Works site when he came into contact with exposed, live electrical conductors.

Cardiff Crown 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 huge electric shock when he touched them, leaving him in hospital for several weeks and yet to return to work.

A Health and Safety Executive prosecution had been due to take place but the Cardiff-based company admitted failing to properly safeguard high-voltage electrical conductors under Section 2(1) of the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974. The firm was fined £80,000 for the breach and ordered to pay costs of £16,600.

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