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Police probe into young worker electrocution
Police and safety experts are investigating how a scaffolder was electrocuted while working on a London council estate. Father-of-two Ralph Kennedy, 24, died on 15 September after touching a live light fitting. Mr Kennedy, who had gone into cardiac arrest, was pronounced dead at the scene. His body was then left on the scaffolding platform for at least eight hours until it was taken away around 10pm. Complaints about safety on the Gee Construction site in Camden had been raised at least verbally prior to the tragedy, reports say. Detective Inspector Carol Andrews told the Camden New Journal: 'I am looking at whether it was done on purpose - was he murdered? I am looking at what maintenance has taken place. I am looking around the light fitting that was clearly live.' She added: 'I have to find out what caused it to be faulty. I am investigating who, if anyone, is responsible for his death. If someone's tampered with it, it's manslaughter.' Investigators will be following up suggestions that another worker on the site survived a shock from the same light days before, together with other safety concerns that have emerged about the site. Mr Kennedy's relatives said they had not been allowed to see the site's accident log.
Briefing document (300 words) issued 29 Sep 2006