Issue Date:  -  Wednesday, 19 January 2005

Energy Safety prosecutes Western Power over children’s deaths

State electricity and gas regulator Energy Safety is prosecuting Western Power over the electrocution deaths of two children at Wyndham in 2003.

The prosecution is one of six separate charges against Western Power in relation to alleged failures to ensure that service apparatus was installed and maintained in a safe condition.

Service apparatus is a term used to describe electrical equipment such as service cables between Western Power’s poles and individual customer premises.

Director of Energy Safety Albert Koenig said today that all of the charges were serious, but the Wyndham incident was particularly worrying.

“In the Wyndham incident, two children died after touching the Western Power service aerial attachment, which we will allege was not maintained in a safe condition,” Mr Koenig said.

“We believe the seven and eight-year old children were trying to retrieve a frisbee from the roof of their house when they touched the aerial attachment and both tragically lost their lives.

“The other offences include three instances where Western Power workers did not connect the service cable neutral conductor following work and two instances of workers transposing the neutral and active conductors after reconnecting an installation.

“These types of failures can result in serious electric shock to persons at the customer’s premises.”

Five of the charges are listed for hearing in the Perth Court of Petty Sessions today, with the sixth listed for trial on March 22.

The offences occurred in Port Hedland (2 instances), Tuart Hill, Narrogin, East Victoria Park and Wyndham

(A summary of the alleged offences is attached)

Summary of Alleged Offences