A Sligo coroner has issued a warning about electrical equipment used on building sites and also cautioned workers against drinking alcohol before completing their work.
Dr Desmond Moran was spe aking at the inquest of two Sligo men who were electrocuted on a building site in Gurteen during Christmas week. Sean Flannery (29) from Monasteraden and Mark Hannon (18) from Kilfree, Gurteen were trying to complete a job at 3 a.m. on December 21st when the accident occurred. They had earlier gone to a local pub for two hours while waiting for concrete to dry.
The men, with two colleagues, were working under the light of two halogen lamps erected on tripods as they put in sub-floors for 10 townhouses. Mr Flannery ran a family building firm and was employing the others. An electrician, Mr Thomas Durkin, called to the scene by the gardai, said a lead connected to the lamps extended across the site. This was plugged into a socket in a nearby house.
He said there was "no earth leakage circuit breaker or safety trip switch" which meant when the plug was inserted "a 220 volts unprotected supply went across the site".
Mr Durkin said one of the lights was lying down. "I inspected the halogen and found that the connection block had broken away from the main frame. That left the halogen light with no earthing on it."
Gardai and a doctor were at the site within minutes, but the men were pronounced dead at the scene. Dr I.N. Tobbia, who performed post-mortem examinations, said the men had died from cardiac arrest due to electric shock. Dr Tobbia said their alcohol levels were double the legal limit for driving.
A verdict in accordance with the medical evidence was returned. Dr Moran said it was "a very unfortunate accident" but the message should go out that electrical equipment must include earth leakage circuit breakers.