Worker Suffers Life-Threatening Injuries After Contact With Overhead Power Line

A 26-year-old tree surgeon suffered life-threatening injuries after a mobile lighting tower came into contact with an 11,000-volt overhead power line during night-time work. 

Joshua Pocknell was working as part of a three-person team on the A3102 near Royal Wootton Bassett shortly after midnight on 19 January 2024. The team was clearing vegetation alongside the road when the mobile lighting tower Mr Pocknell was pushing struck an overhead power line. 

The electric shock caused his body to lock onto the equipment before he collapsed and lost consciousness. He suffered severe burns to his arm and hip and was taken to hospital, where he remained for five weeks. 

Mr Pocknell has continued to experience significant pain and nerve-related symptoms following the accident and has stated that he does not believe he will be able to return to the job he previously enjoyed. 

His employer, Upton Specialised Tree Services Ltd, was prosecuted following an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

A change to night-time working introduced an additional risk 

Because the A3102 was a busy road, Upton Specialised Tree Services Ltd requested permission to work at night when traffic was lower, meaning the team needed to use a mobile lighting tower. 

The HSE found that, despite this change in working arrangements, the company had failed to adequately plan for or assess the danger created by using the equipment close to overhead power lines. 

Suitable control measures had not been introduced, and workers had not received adequate instruction or training on the safe use of the lighting tower near the power lines. 

Overhead power lines can present an extreme risk 

Electricity does not always require direct contact to cause serious injury; equipment that can reach or approach overhead power lines needs to be carefully controlled, and workers should be given clear information about safe distances and how the equipment should be used. 

HSE guidance says employers should identify overhead power lines before work begins and assess the risk of equipment reaching them. Work should also be properly planned and supervised, particularly when circumstances change. 

In this case, the HSE identified several measures that could have reduced the danger, including barriers, safer working zones and appropriate training. 

Upton Specialised Tree Services Ltd pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 14 of the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989. At Bristol Magistrates’ Court on 1 May 2026, the company was fined £60,000 and ordered to pay £6,237 in costs. 

The consequences can continue long after the accident 

Mr Pocknell suffered severe injuries following his workplace accident: the electrical burns went through his arm and hip to the bone, and he spent five weeks in hospital, with several surgeons involved in his treatment. 

Two years after the accident, he said he was still experiencing considerable pain and nerve-related symptoms, including itching and unusual sensations. He also said he did not believe he would be able to return to tree-surgery. 

For someone seriously injured at work, the consequences can therefore extend well beyond the initial hospital treatment. Ongoing symptoms may affect their ability to work, their independence and their day-to-day life. 

Where an employee is injured because electrical hazards were not properly assessed or controlled, they may be able to pursue an accident at work claim. 

What happens if working arrangements change? 

Employers should review safety arrangements when a job changes in a way that introduces new risks. This could include moving work to night-time, bringing different machinery onto a site, or changing how a task is carried out. 

Workers should be given the information, equipment and training they need before the revised work begins. In situations involving overhead electricity cables, this means understanding where the lines are, how close equipment can safely approach them and what controls must remain in place throughout the job. 

If an accident does occur, records such as risk assessments, training documents, photographs, witness evidence and HSE findings may later help establish how the incident occurred. 

Time limits for an accident at work claim 

In most cases, an adult has three years from the date of an accident to begin a personal injury claim. If the injured person was under 18 at the time, the usual three-year period generally starts on their 18th birthday. 

There may be exceptions depending on the circumstances, so anyone seriously injured at work should consider seeking legal advice early rather than waiting until the deadline approaches. 

Premier Legal Assist can help 

A serious workplace accident can affect far more than the period immediately after the injury, particularly when the person is left with ongoing symptoms or is unable to return to their previous job. 

Premier Legal Assist can connect eligible clients with specialist personal injury solicitors who handle workplace accident claims on a no-win, no-fee basis. 

To find out if you are eligible to make a no-win, no-fee claim, complete our short form or contact us on WhatsApp and a team member will be in touch.