A construction firm has been prosecuted after a worker was set on fire when he struck underground electricity cables during excavation work in Essex.

Mason Construction (London) Limited of Railway Place, Hertford, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 13(1) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015. It has been fined £25,000 with more than £3,979 in costs.

Chelmsford Magistrates' Court heard that the employee was excavating the ground at a site on Spare Lease Hill in Loughton on February 2016.

During the work he struck an electrical cable and was set on fire. He received significant burns to his lower body, causing him to be hospitalised for one month and unable to work for six weeks.

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A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found Mason failed ot adequately plan, manage and monitor the construction work. In addition, it failed to obtain drawings from the utility company detailing the position of underground cables, and did not re-scan the affected ground to a sufficient depth while excavation work was ongoing.

HSE added both the victim and the employee responsible for scanning the ground did not receive training for their tasks, despite this being detailed in the company's risk assessments and method statements.

After the hearing HSE inspector David King said: "The contractor's injuries were very serious, and he could have easily been killed. This injury would have been prevented if the company had planned and implemented safe methods of working, and provided the necessary information and training to its workers."

(LM/MH)