**
A tree surgeon’s harrowing experience with a powerful electric shock while working in Wiltshire has culminated in a significant penalty for his employer. Joshua Pocknell, who was left with severe injuries, described the moment he came into contact with an overhead powerline as life-threatening. His employer, Upton Specialised Tree Services, has been fined £60,000 and ordered to pay additional costs following an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
The Incident
On January 19, 2024, Pocknell was engaged in hedge clearance on the A3102 near Royal Wootton Bassett when the mobile lighting tower he was maneuvering made contact with an 11,000-volt powerline. The 26-year-old suffered a severe electric shock that caused his body to lock up and left him in excruciating pain.
“I thought I was going to die,” Pocknell recounted. “My whole body locked and I felt hot and cramping. I could hear the electricity in my head and then I passed
