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A warning has been issued to employers by the HSE following the death of a welder working in the hold of a ship. The welder was electrocuted when the hold got flooded with water. The HSE wants all companies, large or small, to take the necessary precautions when asking employees to work in confined places.

The company that the welder was working for, Richards Dry Dock and Engineering Ltd was fined £25,000 and made to bear costs of almost £35,000 after it pleaded guilty of contravening Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.

The incident took place on The Putford Achilles in August 2005, when the welder, Kevin Hall, was working in the hold of the ship. The hold got flooded because of unintentional actions of two other welders who were working on the deck of the ship. The water caused Mr. Hall’s electrocution, to which he succumbed as no help could reach in time. The hold had become inaccessible to the rescuers as there was a major risk that they could get electrocuted themselves.

Commenting on the incident, John Claxton, the HSE Inspector who was part of the investigation into the incident said that the case made it evident that carrying out any kind of work in confined spaces is quite dangerous and adequate measures must be taken to ensure that such events do not repeat. He also said that companies that did not follow the necessary guidelines for the safety of their employees would face strict action.

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Mr. Claxton advised people to avoid entering confined spaces without taking the necessary precautions. Only fully trained employees should be used for such tasks. In addition, the employer should put in place measures such as atmospheric monitoring and arrangements for emergency rescue. He added that other than the risk of flooding, dangers such as insufficient oxygen and presence of toxic gases are also associated with confined spaces.