A leisure facilities management company has been fined £60,000 after a taxi driver was electrocuted while climbing over a fence to retrieve a football during a five-a-side match.
Albert Xhediku, 34, scaled the fence to fetch the ball after it went out of play at the Mountbatten Leisure Centre in Portsmouth, Hampshire, on January 17, 2016. He touched a floodlight and received a shock, later being declared dead in hospital the same day, according to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
An HSE investigation revealed that the incident stemmed from worn and faulty wiring on the floodlight, which Parkwood Community Leisure had failed to properly inspect and maintain. The failing had been present for several years, and no action was taken to repair the equipment.
This was despite a previous incident reported to the leisure centre a month before Mr Xhediku's death, when an off-duty police officer suffered an electric shock from the same equipment.
Parkwood Community Leisure, of The Stables, Duxbury Park, Duxbury Hall Road, Chorley, admitted to breaching Section 3 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 at a previous hearing, the HSE stated.
At Portsmouth Magistrates' Court on Tuesday, the company was fined £60,000 and ordered to pay costs of £40,000, the HSE added.
HSE inspector Dominic Goacher said: "This tragic incident should never have happened. What followed was a long and complex investigation. We found that the electrical system of the floodlight that resulted in Albert's death had already been identified by Parkwood as being in poor condition, yet they failed to take action to remedy the faults."
"This case is a stark reminder that effective systems must be put in place to properly assess and manage the risks posed by ageing infrastructure on their sites. As always, our thoughts remain with Albert's family and friends, and we hope the conclusion of this case can offer them some comfort."
