Shocking CCTV footage has captured the moment a tree surgeon believed he was going to die after receiving a severe electric shock from a powerline. Joshua Pocknell, 26, was performing routine hedge maintenance shortly after midnight on 19 April 2024 when he suffered life-threatening injuries, a court heard.
Mr Pocknell was pushing a mobile lighting tower on a busy road near Royal Wootton Bassett when the tower made contact with an overhead powerline. The CCTV footage shows the moment he received the electric shock, describing how he felt he could not let go of the tower. He sustained severe injuries and was rushed to hospital, where he spent the next five weeks recovering.
Court Case and Fine
Upton Specialised Tree Services Ltd was fined £60,000 and ordered to pay £6,237 in costs at Bristol Magistrates' Court on Friday after admitting health and safety breaches. Speaking after the case, Mr Pocknell said: 'My whole body locked and I felt hot and cramping. 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.'
He added: 'My injuries were complex and challenging, and there were five or six different surgeons involved in my treatment. I still experience considerable pain and strange bodily sensations, including nerve pain and itching. This incident has torn the life from beneath me, and I do not think I will be able to return to the job that I used to love.'
HSE Investigation Findings
A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found that the employer, Upton Specialist Tree Services, had requested a permit from Wiltshire Council to carry out the work at night. The decision to work after dark was made due to traffic flow needs, as the A3102 acted as a diversion for the M4. However, the company failed to adequately plan for or risk assess the dangers posed by overhead power lines. They did not implement suitable control measures such as barriers, instruction, or training for operating the mobile lighting tower.
The overhead powerlines had not been properly assessed or controlled, particularly following the change to night-time working that required the use of a mobile lighting tower. The company, based in Wimborne, Dorset, pleaded guilty to a breach of the Electricity at Work Regulations.
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.'
