Safety worries raised

Both Wellington Electricity (WEL) and Northpower were alerted to safety concerns at a capital substation the day before a serious incident at a Karori site left a trainee electrician badly burned, newly released documents show.

Jay House was seriously injured when a metal bracket fell on to a live 400-volt terminal as he worked to replace ageing equipment at Old Karori Rd substation on May 27, 2014.

House suffered second-degree burns to his upper thighs, buttocks and face and recalled hearing his own screams during the incident.

The two companies were fined $26,000 and $30,000 respectively in Wellington District Court last week, and House – who said he had suffered almost daily panic attacks for months – was awarded $30,000 in reparations.

Documents show a Northpower electrician had a similar decommissioning job at another Wellington site abandoned the day before House’s accident, amid safety concerns.

The worker felt unable to install the insulated matting needed for the substation and was ‘‘unsafe’’ carrying out decommissioning work near uninsulated live parts.

The job was deferred and eventually completed when the substation was shut off.

Northpower, which remains House’s employer, accepted responsibility for its part in his accident, which prompted an overhaul of its safety practices.

WEL chief executive Greg Skelton expressed regret over the incident but said ‘‘substantial work’’ in health and safety has taken place since the accident.

‘‘Corrective actions have been put in place to reduce the risk of this type of event occurring again.’’

WorkSafe said the two companies failed to deliver a work plan with clear instructions, failed to shut off the power before work began, and did not document hazard assessments in one place.