Scaffolder loses hands and feet after hitting power line

Grant Prior 8 years ago
Share

A scaffolding company and its director have been sentenced after a worker lost his hands and feet in a horrific site accident.

Swindon Magistrates’ Court heard how Jamie Mines was erecting scaffolding on 19 December 2016 when the structure came into contact with 33KV overhead power lines.

The father of five received an electric shock which led to the amputation of his left arm above the elbow, right arm below the elbow and both of his feet.

The 32-year-old also suffered severe burns to his legs and back, damage to his vocal chords, and was in an induced coma for six weeks.

An HSE investigation found the scaffolding should not have been built to that height so close to overhead power lines. The company and its director failed to ensure a safe system of work was in place for erecting a scaffold under overhead power lines.

Boundary Scaffolding Limited, of Kendrick Industrial Estate Swindon pleaded guilty to safety breaches and was fined £80,000 and has been ordered to pay full costs of £1415.10.

Company director Jonathon Lee Griffiths-Clack, of Swindon also pleaded guilty and was sentenced to six months in prison, suspended for 12 months. He has been ordered to repay costs of £1545.30.

In a statement the injured man Jamie Mines said: “I can’t quite put into words how it feels to wake up with no hands.

“I had five-month-old twin girls at the time of the accident, all I could think of when I woke up was the things I wouldn’t be able to do, for example I wouldn’t be able to hold my babies’ hands again, I wouldn’t be able to draw, play catch or teach my girls any of the things that I had learned with my hands.

“There’s so many things I can’t do it’s hard to imagine, but to never feel anything with my hands again is what I struggle with the most.

“Sitting here now in my wheelchair nine months after the accident and I still don’t walk, for a man who was very active before the accident it has been extremely difficult.

“I was a keen a sportsman as well as someone who enjoyed his job and was really hands on with my babies. How my life has changed is almost indescribable.”

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Ian Whittles said: “This incident could have been prevented had the company and its director properly planned a safe system of work and ensured the scaffolding was erected in line with HSE regulations.

“Due to their failings, a young father of five has been left with life-changing injuries and the lives of an entire family have been changed forever.”

Latest news

Comment: Gateway is acting like a barricade

Contractors left banging their heads on an (unbuilt) brick wall
3 days ago

Final phase of £1.5bn Elephant and Castle revamp hits planning

Get Living submits revised plan for 500 homes and 450-bed student block
4 days ago

Ealing backs final phase of £1.3bn estate rebuild

Friary Park estate rebuild in Acton reaches end stage
3 days ago

Green light for scaled-down Nottingham student tower

Glasshouse Street scheme will deliver 247 student rooms
3 days ago

Aston Villa to revamp North Stand

Club to reuse existing structure rather than complete rebuild
3 days ago

Mace signs ex-ISG director to lead Euro health and tech push

Gary Sweeney to head up healthcare and life sciences consultancy arm
3 days ago

Sir Robert McAlpine claws way back into profit

Firm says return to profit and strong cash balance validates new strategy
4 days ago

Severfield to cut staff by 6% amid pricing pressure

Steelwork contractor warns of extended tighter pricing due to project delays
4 days ago

JRL completes sale of 50% stake to Malaysian giant IJM

Deal boosts balance sheet and kicks starts growth plan
4 days ago

Green light for £100m Liverpool Baltic station build

Enabling highway works to start in the autumn
4 days ago

First live tests for flying construction robots

Drones can lay construction materials at height on site
4 days ago

Three firms land £170m Gentoo Sunderland housing deal

PHS Solutions, Esh and RE:GEN to deliver 10-year home upgrade plan
4 days ago

Gateway gridlock hits build-to-rent delivery as starts nosedive

Build to rent starts plunge 18% in the capital
5 days ago

Call to shift Gateway 2 checks to end building bottleneck

"The current system isn't working but we all want to see safe buildings"
5 days ago

GBN launches £600m bid race for SMR engineer roles

Owner engineers to provide technical and assurance services
5 days ago

Wates hires ex-Homes England chief to head public sector push

Robert Stone to spearhead its public sector and national frameworks strategy
5 days ago

Acheson Construction collapse costs suppliers £8.5m

One frustrated creditor seized a telehandler after contractor went into administration
5 days ago

Dominus wins go-ahead for 173-bed Glasgow scheme

Old Wynd Street job expected to cost around £25m to build
5 days ago

Safety Regulator misses deadline to clear Gateway 2 backlog

Investors pulling out of funding high rise buildings
6 days ago

CITB still sitting on £95m cash pile

Staff numbers jump from 666 to 763 as training body wage bill soars
6 days ago

£500m road surfacing framework market call

NEPO goes out to consultation on north east regional highways deal
6 days ago

Two share £220m Scottish rail repairs and minor works deal

AmcoGiffen and CPMS win civils and building repair deals
6 days ago

Builder wanted for £60m London leisure and flats job

Tower Hamlets aims to replace St George’s Leisure Centre in Shadwell
6 days ago

Contractor confirmed for business park expansion

Roe Developments to start on next phase of Castle Donington scheme
6 days ago

Driver escapes injury as scaffold collapses onto van

Major three-lift scaffold fall blocks north London high street
2 weeks ago

Gilbert Ash to be sold to staff

£267m turnover contractor to transition to an Employee Ownership Trust
2 weeks ago

M Group seals biggest-ever deal with Telent takeover

Digital infrastructure specialist deal lifts turnover to £3bn
2 weeks ago

Aggregates firm Ashville went down owing more than £3m

Debts revealed in Companies House update
2 weeks ago

Cardo saves 100 jobs at Breyer roofing arm

Private equity-backed Welsh maintenance group continues to expand
2 weeks ago

Excavator knocked off lorry going under bridge

Traffic Commissioner inquiry after accident in south London
2 weeks ago

Contractor services