In Izmail, the case of the death of a utility worker due to the negligence of his superior was sent to court

Police investigators have sent to court the case of a former employee of a utility company for violating safety rules, which led to the death of a person.

This was reported by the press service of the Main Directorate of the National Police in Odesa Oblast.

The accused faces up to eight years in prison. As part of the pre-trial investigation, investigators found that a 36-year-old chief engineer of a utility company in Izmail district had instructed a 43-year-old pump operator to repair a water supply valve in the overflow well of the central water supply station pipeline without making sure that the work was safe. The police also found out that the machine operator had not undergone special training and a health and safety test, was not provided with personal protective equipment during the work, and used a homemade 220 V portable lamp with faulty wiring.

The combination of these gross violations resulted in the driver suffering a fatal electric shock due to contact with the faulty wiring of the lamp. The cause of death was confirmed by a forensic medical examination. The police filed a motion with the court to remove the chief engineer from office, which the investigating judge granted. He has now been fired.

Meanwhile, the Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi City District Court found guilty the owner of a private enterprise on whose premises a man was electrocuted. The tragedy occurred in the Shabiv community. Taking into account his sincere remorse, the man was sentenced to five years in prison, but was released from serving his sentence and given a suspended sentence.

The court found that the company's director allowed a 46-year-old resident of Podilsk to drive a MAZ-based KTA-28 truck crane and move a concrete pole that was interfering with the work. The deceased did not have an official labor relationship with the company, did not have proper registration, special training, access to high-risk work, or a confirmed right to operate such equipment. The victim drove the crane outside the enterprise, set up the equipment along the road on Shabska Street, and began to lift a concrete pillar.

During the work, the crane boom and cables were at a dangerous distance from the power grid, which created conditions for an electric arc. After that, the man went down to the ground to secure the concrete pole to the lifting mechanism. At that moment, he was electrocuted. The man died on the spot from his injuries.

Кирило Бойко