A tree surgeon has described the moment he suffered a severe electric shock.
CCTV footage captured the moment Joshua Pocknell was shocked after mobile lighting tower made contact with an overhead power line on the A3102 near Royal Wootton Bassett.
Mr Pocknell, aged 26, was working as part of a three person team when the equipment he was pushing struck the power line in January 2024.
Incident details and injuries
He reported being unable to release the tower as the current passed through his body, before collapsing and losing consciousness.
Mr Pocknell said: “My whole body locked and I felt hot and cramping. I could hear the electricity in my head and thought I was going to die.
“I hit the floor and passed out, still cramping. I later discovered a hole had burnt through my arm and hip all the way to the bone.
“My injuries were complex and challenging and there were five or six different surgeons involved in my treatment.
“I still experience considerable pain and strange bodily sensations, including nerve pain and itching.
“This incident has torn the life from beneath me and I don’t think I will be able to return to the job that I used to love.”
HSE investigation findings
A Health and Safety Executive investigation found that Upton Specialised Tree Services had failed to properly plan or risk assess the work, particularly after switching to night operations requiring mobile lighting equipment.
The company did not implement adequate control measures, including barriers, training or safe systems of work around overhead power lines.
Prosecution and safety guidance
The company pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 14 of the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 and was fined £60,000 with additional costs of £6,237 at Bristol Magistrates’ Court on Friday, May 1.
HSE inspector Tom Preston said: “Joshua is lucky to be alive. Overhead electrical power lines present extreme risks to workers, but the risks can and must be controlled.
“Work near overhead power lines should only be carried out where it can be done safely, following a suitable risk assessment, the use of barriers or safety zones, and proper training on the equipment being used.
“In this case, a worker sustained severe injuries in a traumatic incident for all concerned that was entirely preventable.
“HSE will take action against those who fail to take the steps necessary to protect people at work.”
