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Working at height in the vicinity of high-voltage overhead powerlines remains one of the most statistically lethal activities in the industrial sector. A tragic incident at a Devon biogas site has once again highlighted the devastating human cost of ignoring fundamental safety warnings and failing to implement robust engineering controls.
On 1 June 2020, 34-year-old Carl Parsons, a father of three, was fatally electrocuted, and his colleague Luke Madavan sustained life-altering injuries. The two men, employed by New Wave Marine Ltd, were using a cherry picker to access the lid of a biodigester tank to clear a crust blockage. During the operation, the elevated platform collided with a live 11,000-volt (11 kV) overhead powerline, sending a lethal electrical current directly through the metal basket.
Following a rigorous Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation, both the principal contractor and the sub-contractor were sentenced at Exeter Crown Court on 3 March 2026, receiving combined fines of £81,000 plus substantial prosecution costs. For TMUK Group Ltd, this prosecution underscores a critical reality: safety on commercial and industrial sites cannot be left to chance or poor communication.
The most harrowing aspect of this incident is that it was entirely preventable. The HSE investigation revealed that the principal contractor, Willand O&M Ltd, had been explicitly advised by Western Power Distribution (the local Distribution Network Operator) to relocate or bury the overhead powerlines nine months prior to the incident.
Willand O&M failed to act on this critical advice. Furthermore, they failed to implement any secondary control measures, such as height restrictors on mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs) or the establishment of restricted exclusion zones beneath the live conductors.
The sub-contractor, New Wave Marine Ltd, was also found culpable of severe operational oversights. Their risk assessments were deemed neither suitable nor sufficient for the high-risk environment. There was a distinct lack of formal training provision and adequate supervision for the operatives deployed to execute the task.
This incident resulted in prosecutions under multiple facets of UK health and safety legislation. Willand O&M Ltd pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 3(1)(a) of the Electricity at Work Regulations (EAWR) 1989 by virtue of Regulation 14, which mandates that no person shall work on or near a live conductor unless it is absolutely necessary and suitable precautions are taken to prevent danger.
New Wave Marine Ltd pleaded guilty to offences under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 and the Work at Height Regulations 2005.
In commercial and industrial environments, compliance with these regulations, alongside the stringent requirements of BS 7671:2018+A3:2024, is non-negotiable. When managing a site with external high-voltage hazards, duty holders must enforce a strict hierarchy of control: elimination (burying or diverting lines) is always the primary directive. Where this is not immediately practicable, physical goalposts, rigid exclusion zones, and flawless Safe Systems of Work (SSoW) must be strictly enforced.
Safety documentation and site protocols must be site-specific, highly detailed, and rigidly adhered to. TMUK Group Ltd provides an exclusive suite of free, mobile-ready tools designed to assist principal contractors, duty holders, and supervisors in maintaining absolute statutory compliance:
The cost of ignoring professional engineering advice is measured in lives. If your facility operates near high-voltage infrastructure, or if you require robust compliance strategies for complex industrial environments, do not leave your risk assessments to chance.
For expert support with your commercial compliance, fixed-wire testing, or general industrial safety frameworks, explore our comprehensive Compliance Services or reach out directly via our Contact Page to speak to a qualified TMUK engineer.
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Table of Contents Top 10 Electrical Upgrades to Increase Home Value 1.
Table of Contents Understanding the Basics of Electrical Safety What i
