Firm fined after contractor fatally electrocuted

Mr Alleyne died after the incident in Swallowfield Road in Arborfield in November 2020

A company that "failed to plan, manage and monitor" a job in which a man was fatally electrocuted has been ordered to pay more than £41,000 in costs and compensation.

Levi Alleyne, 41, was killed after he raised his grab lorry's crane arm onto overhead power lines in Arborfield, Berkshire, in November 2020.

Reading-based BBM Contracts Ltd admitted one breach of health and safety legislation.

It was fined £30,000 and ordered to pay compensation of £11,613.50 at Reading Magistrates’ Court on 20 June.

A coroner concluded that Mr Alleyne was hired to deliver supplies to a building site in Swallowfield Road but “no warnings, verbal or visual” were given to him about the power lines.

On raising the crane arm onto the power line, the electricity passed through Mr Alleyne’s lorry and into him.

An automatic protection system on the power lines cut the power to one of the lines within a few seconds, Berkshire’s assistant coroner Katy Thorne KC found in November 2022.

A bystander called 999 but was advised by South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS) not to approach Mr Alleyne because it was unclear if the lines were live.

As a result, CPR was only given to Mr Alleyne about 20 minutes later when the air ambulance arrived.

BBM Contracts, based in Aldbourne Avenue, Earley, will pay £1,500 per month towards the £41,613.50 it was fined and told to pay in compensation from 18 July.