During 2010 the number of Lost Time Accidents remained at 12 – the same as in 2009. The number of reportable injuries also remained at 9, the same as in 2009.

There were no fatalities among our workforce during 2010, however, unfortunately there was one fatality in February 2010 involving a tree contractor working on behalf of Energy Networks. The man was fatally injured after being struck on the head by a falling length of timber.

A panel of inquiry investigated the incident and has reported back with a number of recommendations and action points relating to tree felling. Restrictions were placed on all Energy Networks tree contractors while the panel of inquiry conducted its investigations.

In November 2010 we were fined £130,000, for a conviction under the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 with a causal link to a fatal accident. The company was formally acquitted of breach of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

The conviction related to death of a member of the public in Prees, Shropshire, in January 2007. A live electricity cable had become dislodged following high winds. The victim had been trying to warn people about the fallen cable when a passing vehicle ran over it, causing it to fly into the air and strike the victim, fatally injuring him.

A wooden block that had been used to fix the cable had become partially decayed and failed. Although the entire set of circumstances, such as the cable whipping up into the air was not foreseeable, the failed fixing was a contributory factor in the victim’s death. We have now eradicated this method of fixing cables from our networks to prevent any recurrence.

The judge commented that ScottishPower did have a fundamentally sound system in place and that it was a responsible company with no other incidents of this type.