Willand O&M and contractor New Wave Marine were sentenced at Exeter Crown Court on 3 March 2026 following the incident at the Willand Biogas site on Hide Market Road in Cullompton, Devon, on 1 June 2020.
Carl Parsons, 34, died after being electrocuted during the incident. His colleague, Luke Madavan, sustained life-changing injuries.
Parsons was described by his family as “funny, loving and kind” and “a fantastic father”.
The plant, which was operated by Willand O&M, went into administration in 2024.
Cherry picker used at biogas plant struck powerlines
The court heard that New Wave Marine had been contracted by Willand O&M to carry out maintenance work on one of the site’s biodigesters.
The task involved lifting the lid of the digester and stirring a crust blockage that had built up inside the tank.
During the work, a cherry picker operated by New Wave Marine struck an overhead powerline running above the site. Electrical current travelled through the metal basket of the platform, electrocuting Parsons and delivering a serious electric shock to Madavan.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Willand O&M had previously been advised by both its principal contractor and Western Power Distribution to relocate the overhead line.
HSE Inspector Nicole Buchanan said: “The death of Mr Carl Parsons and the injuries to Mr Madavan were entirely avoidable and I hope that this case will serve as a lesson to others who try to avoid costs by working near overhead powerlines.
“I express my deepest sympathy to those who witnessed the incident, to Carl’s family, his wife, and especially to his three children, and to Mr Madavan; and I thank them for their cooperation throughout the investigation.”
Willand O&M fined £51k
The investigation found that no adequate control measures had been implemented to manage the risk of working near the live conductor.
Measures such as installing height restrictors on cherry pickers or designating restricted work areas were not in place.
Inspectors also identified shortcomings in site supervision, monitoring and induction procedures.
New Wave Marine’s risk assessment for the task was found to be neither suitable nor sufficient.
Willand O&M pleaded guilty to an offence under Regulation 3(1)(a) of the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 by virtue of Regulation 14.
The charge related to failing to ensure that those working at the site were not carrying out work on or near a live electrical conductor without suitable precautions in place to prevent injury.
The company was fined £51,000 and ordered to pay prosecution costs of £28,467.
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