It’s important that companies have arrangements to act promptly on reports of danger.

An example is a major electricity supply company, supplying London and the Southeast of England. They had a situation where a high voltage overhead line, normally at 5.5m above the ground, was reported as being at low level. In fact, it was at just 1.5m above the ground and hanging across a footpath.

Rather than de-energizing that part of the system, the electricity company dispatched a technician to investigate the situation whilst leaving the cable live. Twenty minutes before the technician arrived, a runner ran into the high voltage cable and was killed. The company was understandably fined £1,000,000. In addition there were costs awarded against the company. This sort of situation also results in large civil liability costs and reputational damage, largely because no one acted promptly on the report of danger.

How quickly should you act? It depends on the circumstances, so it is vital that you understand what is at stake and who is responsible. At Quadriga we provide the right level of training for Directors and Senior Executives, which is designed to inform your leadership and aimed at keeping your employees and the general public safe. To find out more, contact us by calling 0118 929 9920 or click here to see our training solutions.