Tree surgeon seriously injured after lighting tower strikes overhead power line

A tree surgeon suffered life-threatening injuries after a mobile lighting tower came into contact with an overhead power line during overnight road maintenance work near Royal Wootton Bassett.

The incident happened shortly after midnight on 19 January 2024 while a three-person team was carrying out hedge maintenance along the A3102, which was being used as a diversion route for the M4.

Joshua Pocknell, 26, was moving a mobile lighting tower when it struck an overhead electricity cable, causing a severe electric shock. The incident was captured on CCTV.

Describing the moment of impact, Pocknell said his entire body locked up and he experienced intense heat and cramping before collapsing unconscious to the ground. He later discovered he had suffered severe burns, with injuries extending through his arm and hip to the bone.

Emergency services rushed him to hospital, where he remained for five weeks recovering from his injuries.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that employer Upton Specialist Tree Services had failed to properly assess and manage the risks associated with overhead power lines during the work.

The company had obtained a permit from Wiltshire Council to carry out the maintenance overnight in order to minimise traffic disruption. However, the HSE found that the move to night-time working, which required the use of mobile lighting equipment, introduced additional risks that were not adequately considered.

Investigators concluded that suitable safety measures had not been implemented, including the use of barriers, safety zones, training or sufficient instructions relating to the operation of the lighting tower near live overhead cables.

The HSE also found that the hazards posed by the power lines had not been properly identified or controlled before work began.

Upton Specialist Tree Services Ltd, based in Wimborne, admitted breaching health and safety legislation and was fined £60,000 at Bristol Magistrates’ Court. The company was also ordered to pay more than £6,000 in costs.

HSE Inspector Tom Preston said the incident was entirely preventable and highlighted the extreme dangers associated with working near overhead power lines.

He stressed that such work should only proceed following a thorough risk assessment, with clear control measures in place, including appropriate training, exclusion zones and physical barriers where necessary.

The incident serves as a reminder of the importance of planning and risk management during highway maintenance and utility operations, particularly where mobile plant or equipment is being used close to live electrical infrastructure.