A Bolton based company has been handed a hefty fine after a father who tragically lost his son to cancer was badly burned in a workplace accident.

Carl Lowery, then 37, had been working on new blocks of flats The Crescent, Hulme Street, Salford when an electrical flash blew him backwards and burnt his arms and face on 12 May 2020.

This was almost three years after Mr Lowery’s son Bradley died of cancer, leading to him and his wife Gemma to set up the Bradley Lowery foundation to help families facing similar tragedies.

Mr Lowery said: “Even when Bradley was poorly I worked.

"I’ve not been able to work since the accident either, mentally or physically.

The Bolton News: Carl Lowery was badly injuredCarl Lowery was badly injured (Image: HSE)

“My left hand is my dominant hand and after the accident I had no grip. I had to try and learn how to use my non-dominant hand.”

Mr Lowery came to prominence after son Bradley's well publicised cancer diagnosis.

Bradley was just six when he died from neuroblastoma, a rare form of cancer that affects nerve cells and is typically found in young children, in 2017.

He struck up a friendship with then Black Cats striker Jermain Defoe and became a mascot for both Sunderland and England.

The accident happened when Mr Lowery, now 41, had been working alongside a colleague at SRE Cabling and Jointing Limited.

The company had been sub-contracted by Aberla M&E Limited to carry out cabling and jointing works on the new apartments.

The pair were working on the building’s main switchboard, with nearby bus bars left live with electricity and covered by a guard panel.

However, a gap in the guard panel led to a nut rolling behind and coming into contact with the live bus bars.

This caused an electrical flash which blew Mr Lowery backwards and burnt his arms and face.

The Bolton News: Bradley Lowery with mum GemmaBradley Lowery with mum Gemma (Image: PA)

A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation into this incident found Aberla M&E Limited had incorrectly assumed the guard panel was sufficient separation of the workers from the live bus bars.

The company failed to take into account a gap in the guard panel, which risked nuts, bolts, tools and even fingers coming into contact with the bus bars.

There was also a failure to issue a permit to work (PTW) on or near live components, which resulted in the main switchboard being left live.

There was also a distinct lack of live works monitoring by the company, with the electrical site manager rarely visiting the work area.

Aberla M&E Limited, of The Parklands, Bolton, Greater Manchester, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.

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The company was fined £40,000 and ordered to pay £20,000 in costs at Manchester Magistrates’ Court on 14 March 2024.

HSE inspector Lisa Bailey said: “This incident has had life-changing consequences for Carl and his family.

"It could have been avoided if the company had actively monitored and managed procedures, to identify risks and prevent incidents.

“Working with electricity is a high-risk activity and safety must be a priority.

"Proper planning to ensure that risks are eliminated at system design stage is essential.”