$300K fine after contact with powerlines results in electric shock

In the Industrial Court of NSW, a company has been fined $300,000 after a worker received an electric shock following a 5 December 2022 incident in which a 16-metre steel reinforcement cage buckled and fell onto two 11,000-volt overhead powerlines.

The fine was a result of a prosecution by SafeWork NSW, the company who plead guilty to an offence pursuant to section 32 of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (NSW) for failing to comply with its duty under section 19(1) of the Act. The company has the right to appeal against the sentence.

“Risk control measures for working with mobile plant near power lines are well known,” said SafeWork NSW Commissioner Janet Schorer. “Contact with overhead power lines is a serious risk that can result in electrocution, electric shock or burns. Other risks include fires and explosions that may immobilise mobile plant involved in work.

“Employers and duty holders must ensure no person or plant comes within an unsafe distance of any overhead power line so far as it is reasonably practicable,” Schorer added.

The full judgment can be read here, on the NSW Caselaw website.

Resources to help manage the risks of working near powerlines can be found here, on the SafeWork NSW website.

Image credit: iStock.com/KaraGrubis. Stock image used is for illustrative purposes only.