A tree surgeon has described how he thought he was “going to die” when he suffered a powerful electric shock from an overhead line while clearing hedges in Wiltshire. Joshua Pocknell, 26, was working just after midnight on the A3102 near Royal Wootton Bassett when the mobile lighting tower he was pushing touched an 11,000 volt overhead powerline.
The incident, which occurred on January 19 2024, left Mr Pocknell with serious injuries requiring five weeks of hospital treatment. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigated the case and found that his employer, Upton Specialised Tree Services, had failed to properly plan for or risk assess the dangers posed by overhead power lines. The firm did not put up barriers or provide training in operating the mobile lighting tower.
“My whole body locked and I felt hot and cramping,” Mr Pocknell said. “I could hear the electricity in my head and thought I was going to die. I hit the floor and passed out, still cramping. I later discovered a hole had burnt through my arm and hip all the way to the bone.” More than two years on, he said he still experiences “considerable pain” and strange bodily sensations, including nerve pain and itching.
“My injuries were complex and challenging and there were five or six different surgeons involved in my treatment,” he added. “This incident has torn the life from beneath me and I don’t think I will be able to return to the job that I used to love.”
Upton Specialised Tree Services pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 14 of the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 by virtue of Regulation 3. The company was fined £60,000 and ordered to pay £6,237 in costs at Bristol Magistrates’ Court on Friday.
HSE inspector Tom Preston said: “Joshua is lucky to be alive. Overhead electrical power lines present extreme risks to workers, but the risks can and must be controlled. Work near overhead power lines should only be carried out where it can be done safely, following a suitable risk assessment, the use of barriers or safety zones, and proper training on the equipment being used. In this case, a worker sustained severe injuries in a traumatic incident for all concerned that was entirely preventable. HSE will take action against those who fail to take the steps necessary to protect people at work.”
