CCTV video of blast shows workers engulfed by fireball at House of Lords

One of the men struck a live electrical cable carrying 11,000 volts

Two workers narrowly escaped death after a giant fireball engulfed them when one accidentally cut into a live 11,000 volts electrical cable under the House of Lords.

Video capturing the accident shows the unnamed 22-year-old bricklayer and 63-year-old labourer cutting into the cables in July 2013 as part of work to lay stones around a manhole.

As they worked one of the men struck a live cable with a jackhammer as he removed old brickwork, triggering an explosion with the power of 11,000 volts.

The bricklayer suffered serious burns to his face, hands, arms and legs. He was in hospital for a month, Southwark Crown court heard on Friday.

The other worker sustained horrendous burns to his face and neck and has been unable to return to work after suffering traumatic stress from the incident.

Bellmoor Construction Limited, of Middlesex, who employed the injured men, and Clive Graham Associates Limited (CGA), of London, who was the principal contractor for the project, were each fined £45,000 each as well as £6,612 costs.

Health and Safety executive Andrew Verrall-Withers said the accident must serve as a warning to other construction companies.

“The ferocious explosion resulted in some serious injuries. This incident could easily have resulted in a fatality, and other employers should take this as a warning about the risks of working near electrical cables.”