Michael's Story

Michael was an experienced spark, who died on 4 August 2005 as the result of an electrical incident. He was only 26 years old and was engaged to be married. Like so many work-related deaths, it was an incident which could and should have been prevented. Motivated by the need to stop this from happening to others, Michael's story is told by his sister Louise. What went wrong? Louise talks through the catalogue of errors in health and safety management - any one of which would have been serious enough on its own – which accumulated to prove fatal. These included: *Failure to implement safe isolation procedures; *Failure to provide lock off devices and testing equipment referred to in the employer’s own method statement; *Failure to document changes to wiring plans and to ensure testing procedures were carried out; *Failure to ensure risk assessments were updated; and *Failure to ensure the effective management and supervision of health and safety. Why tell Michael's Story? The Health and Safety Executive's press release issued after conclusion of the trial of Michael's employer stated: "Michael Adamson's death could have been prevented had his employer ensured that safe working practices were being carried out in accordance with the company's own written procedures. Managers and supervisors in this industry must take active steps to ensure that their electricians work safely". Louise doesn't want anyone else to have to hear something like this which is why she now devotes time to telling her brother's story in workplaces around the UK. If you think Michael's story could have a positive impact on health and safety in your workplace, contact Louise: louise@michaels-story.net