A wind farm management company has been fined £80,000 after a worker suffered serious, life changing injuries during maintenance at the Tom Nan Clach Wind Farm near Inverness.
The incident occurred on 23 June 2020 when a 38 year old employee of Natural Power Services Limited was carrying out work inside an electrical substation. An electrical flashover caused severe injuries that have since required multiple surgeries.
An HSE investigation found that the company had departed from its prepared switching programme, allowing maintenance to take place on one electrical cabinet while the neighbouring cabinet remained live. This left part of the system energised and created the conditions for the flashover.
HSE concluded that if the original switching programme had been followed, the incident would not have happened. The company also lacked an adequate system for checking, reviewing, or approving changes to switching programme failures that contributed directly to the accident.
Natural Power Services Limited pleaded guilty to breaching Sections 3(1) and 33(1)(a) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The fine was issued at Inverness Sheriff Court on 25 November 2025.
An HSE spokesperson said the incident was “wholly avoidable,” emphasising that a more robust review process would have ensured the work was carried out safely and in line with the switching programme.
Free guidance on electrical safety and general health and safety management is available on the HSE website at hse.gov.uk.
To learn more about this story, read on at the HSE Executive.
