Drilling contractor fined $40,000 over drilling work near power lines
Issue Date: - Friday, 30 October 2009
A drilling contractor has been fined $40,000 over an incident in 2006 in which he received an electric shock and another man sustained serious burns when a drilling rig mast came into contact with high voltage power lines.
Laurence Victor Shrigley - trading as Shrigley Drilling Contractors - pleaded guilty to failing to ensure that the workplace was safe and, by that failure, causing serious harm to another person and was fined in the Perth Magistrates Court this week.
In May 2006, Western Power had contracted Outback Power Services to perform works and construct a voltage regulator at Eneabba. Outback Power had contracted Mr Shrigley to perform drilling works.
On May 17, Mr Shrigley and an electrical contractor were engaged in drilling holes with a drilling rig underneath power lines. The position in which the drilling contractor chose to place the rig required him to raise the mast very close to the power lines.
In repositioning the rig, the left-hand outrigger was raised and the mast tilted towards the power lines. The mast touched the power lines and Mr Shrigley received an electric shock and was thrown backwards from the drilling rig.
Another man, who was driving the truck that carried the drilling rig and was working with Mr Shrigley on a voluntary basis, also received an electric shock serious enough to set his clothing on fire. He sustained burns to around 60 per cent of his body.
The court heard that no formal pre-start meeting had been held before the work commenced, and no directions were given for the work, with the exception of where the holes were required to be placed.
Mr Shrigley had not checked whether the power lines were live, or attempted to make any arrangements for the power in the area to be isolated.
WorkSafe WA Commissioner Nina Lyhne said today that the case once again illustrated the vital importance of taking every possible step to ensure safety when working with or near electricity.
“Over the past five years, 18 Westerns Australians have died as a result of electrocution, eight in workplaces and ten outside of workplaces,” Ms Lyhne said.
“Electricity is one of WorkSafe’s operational priority areas, and a lot of time and resources are directed towards lessening the toll and educating people on how to work safely with electricity.
“The employer involved in this case really should have known better than to perform tasks so close to live power lines, but he did not take any action to ensure that the job was done safely.
“The man who was operating the truck sustained horrific and lasting injuries, and Mr Shrigley was extremely lucky to have escaped any serious injury himself.
“The case should serve as a reminder to anyone who has control of a workplace that they have a duty of care to ensure that the workplace is as safe as is practicable.”
Further information on working with electricity can be obtained by telephoning WorkSafe on 9327 8777 or on the website at www.worksafe.wa.gov.au.
Media contact: Caroline De Vaney 9327 8744 or 0408 927563 (media enquiries only).