48,000 volts of electricity coursed through my body in a freak accident – when I came to, my hands were on fire
A SCAFFOLDER has told how a freak accident caused a current of 48,000 volts to flow through his body.
Dad Steve Gilmore was on fire with his own hands and one of his legs was facing the wrong way after he did that electrocuted and fell from the roof in November 2021.
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Steve, from Ramgate, Kent, was at work erecting temporary roof scaffolding in November 2021 when a pipe he was carrying current line.
He told the mirror: “I remember coming to and laying on the ground, I had fallen off the roof. I knew straight away it was bad, I looked at my hands and they were on fire, they were still smoking, my leg was pointing the wrong way and that was also smoking. I knew it was serious.
“I woke up again as I lay there in the local hospital with my partner and brothers, I could faintly hear them talking, and the next one What I remember is waking up again on the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital”.
Two years later, he could still lose both hands, despite dozens of surgeries to save them.
I looked at my hands and they were on fire, still smoking.
Steve Gilmore
Doctors spent weeks attaching leeches to his wrists to help stitch his skin, but when that failed, one of his hands was sewn to his abdomen.
As a last resort, his right thumb was amputated – and now he has to choose between a hand transplant or a complete amputation.
Steve, who had been a scaffolder for 20 years, explained: “It still affects me every day, it's there every time I look at my hands, you need your hands for everything and until they're gone you don't realize how important they are.
“It's terrible to have to depend on my partner. I have had a job since I left school at 15, have always had a job – but to have that taken away from me is devastating.”
“When the accident happened, my son Ethan was only nine years old and it was very difficult for him. He is a strong boy, but he is just a child.”
About 1,000 accidents involving electric shock or burns are reported to the police Health and safety Executive Director in Great Britain every year.
Steve is now seeking compensation from Canterbury City Scaffolding Ltd.
HEALTH AND SAFETY
Jamie Day, associate at Slater and Gordon, represented Steve and said: “Steve went to work that day to do his job as he always did. It is unacceptable that he has suffered life-changing injuries due to the sheer negligence of others and that he is lucky to be alive. Steve and all employees expect that their employers will accept whatever is reasonable steps to protect them from damage while working.
“The Health and Safety Executive provide comprehensive guidance on working at heights near live electricity, and provide measures that should be taken to protect people. In this incident, Steve's employer failed to follow these guidelines, resulting in this serious incident.
“This is unacceptable and it is hoped that lessons can be learned from the shortcomings of this incident to ensure that no one else suffers serious harm in these circumstances.”
Canterbury City Scaffolding Ltd and its director Ian Pepper, 48, from Hoath near Canterbury, pleaded guilty in September to breaching the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.
Last week they were fined £50,000 and Pepper was sentenced to 18 weeks in prison jailsuspended for twelve months.
If someone receives an electric shock, the NHS recommends that you switch off the mains power to break the contact between the mains and the electrical supply.
Do not approach them until this is the case, and if they are not breathing, call 999 for an ambulance.
Electric shock can cause severe burns because the current heats up the body's tissues, and also causes painful muscle spasms that can be strong enough to break bones or dislocate joints.
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