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Dr James Kew: Firm fined £1m after runner electrocuted | Dr James Kew: Firm fined £1m after runner electrocuted |
(about 11 hours later) | |
A power firm has been fined £1m after a man was electrocuted when he was hit by a fallen electricity cable while running in the countryside. | A power firm has been fined £1m after a man was electrocuted when he was hit by a fallen electricity cable while running in the countryside. |
Dr James Kew, 41, died instantly when he ran into the low-hanging cable on a public footpath across a field in Newport, Essex, in 2012. | |
The fault was reported to UK Power Networks earlier that day, but the company did not cut the power. | |
It admitted breaching health and safety laws and must pay £153,000 costs. | |
Dr Kew, of Ashdon, a director of biology at GlaxoSmithKline in Stevenage, was out with members of the Saffron Striders running club on 24 July. | |
Chelmsford Crown Court heard he ran into the 11,000 volt cable, which at its lowest point was just 4ft 9in (1.5m) above the ground. | |
It had fallen because a porcelain insulator securing it to a wooden pole had disintegrated, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said. | |
An inquest into his death in 2014 heard a couple had reported the cable earlier that day and had put a makeshift pile of sticks around it. | |
The HSE said UK Power Networks was aware of the location and could have immediately "de-energised" the network, but instead sent out an engineer. | |
Donation urged | |
Mr Kew was killed 20 minutes before the engineer arrived. | |
UK Power Networks said it had since changed its policy so that when similar issues are reported, power is turned off before technicians are sent out. | UK Power Networks said it had since changed its policy so that when similar issues are reported, power is turned off before technicians are sent out. |
Barry Hatton, the company's director of asset management, said: "Ever since the tragic accident our thoughts have been with Dr Kew's family and friends and [we] are acutely aware of its permanent consequences for them. | Barry Hatton, the company's director of asset management, said: "Ever since the tragic accident our thoughts have been with Dr Kew's family and friends and [we] are acutely aware of its permanent consequences for them. |
"Safety is out top priority... we urge anyone who sees equipment they feel may be dangerous to call us immediately on 0800 316 3105." | "Safety is out top priority... we urge anyone who sees equipment they feel may be dangerous to call us immediately on 0800 316 3105." |
The HSE said people who had witnessed Dr Kew's death had suffered severe trauma and stress-related illness. | |
Dr Kew's father, Jeremy, said his death was a great loss to the family and to medical research. | |
"I think it's a tremendous pity that the network controller did not think to ask [the caller] to remain on site to warn off any members of the public who were coming down the footpath. | |
"Sadly, they did not have sufficient protocols in place to deal with the situation that evening." | |
He urged UK Power Networks to make a generous donation to Action Duchenne, a muscular dystrophy charity which funds research that Dr Kew had been involved in. |
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