City Fencing Contractors Limited, a Liverpool-based firm, has been fined £10,000 after one of its employees suffered an electric shock and severe burns. The incident occurred on 21 May 2024, at a construction site in Manchester, where the worker struck a live underground cable while installing security fencing. The company was also ordered to pay costs of £5,487 at Warrington Magistrates Court on 26 May 2026.
Employee sustained severe burns striking live underground cable
Paul Taylor, 59, was working for City Fencing Contractors Limited at Meade Hill Road, Manchester, as part of a team installing security fencing for the Meade Hill Shul synagogue. While using a breaker to dig into the ground to prepare for the metal fencing installation, Mr Taylor inadvertently struck a live underground electrical cable. The resulting electric shock caused multiple burn injuries to his stomach, chest, and arms. The father-of-three’s workwear was visibly burnt following the incident, highlighting the severity of the electrical discharge.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) concluded that City Fencing Contractors Limited had failed to implement suitable and sufficient controls to mitigate the risks associated with underground services. HSE guidance explicitly states that any construction work liable to create a risk to health or safety from an underground service, or from damage to or disturbance of it, must not proceed unless adequate steps have been taken to prevent such risks, so far as is reasonably practicable. This fundamental principle underscores the importance of proactive safety measures in all excavation work.
A robust safe system of work for dealing with underground services comprises three essential elements: meticulous planning of the work, thorough detection, identification, and clear marking of underground services, and the adoption of safe excavation or digging practices. Careful planning and comprehensive risk assessments are paramount before any work commences. These assessments must consider how the work will be carried out, taking into account the specific local circumstances of the site.
Before any excavation work begins, it is important to obtain and review plans or other relevant information about all buried services in the area. However, it is also important to recognise that plans only provide an indication of the location and number of underground services. Therefore, a competent person must trace cables using suitable locating devices to accurately identify and mark them. Once located, underground cables must be clearly identified and marked on the ground. Excavation work itself should then be carried out with extreme care, strictly adhering to recognised safe digging practices to prevent accidental strikes.
City Fencing Contractors Limited, located at 1 Brookfield Drive, Liverpool, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 25(4) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015. This regulation specifically addresses the risks posed by underground services and the duty of employers to manage them effectively. The prosecution highlighted the company’s failure to adhere to these critical safety standards, which directly led to Mr Taylor’s serious injuries.
HSE inspector John Padfield commented on the case, emphasising the widespread nature and significant risks associated with underground services. He stated, “It is important measures are taken to identify them before any excavation work is undertaken.” Inspector Padfield further noted that while an electrical cable strike resulted in severe burns on this occasion, the outcome could have been far more tragic, potentially fatal. He concluded that had the company implemented an effective safe system of work, following established HSE guidance, this entirely preventable incident would not have occurred. This case serves as a stark reminder to all construction firms of their legal and moral obligations to protect their workforce from foreseeable hazards.
This story was originally published by HSE Media Centre
