A Fife man was burned so badly during an explosion at work, he had to be put into a medically-induced coma for four days.
Steven Delargey, 51, was carrying out work on behalf of C&F Electrical Services with colleague Russell Brand at global defence company Raytheon Systems Ltd in Glenrothes, when a capacitor from the distribution board fell on to a live conductor, causing severe burns to their face, neck and arms.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive ruled the accident had been preventable and both companies were subsequently fined a combined total of £44,000 at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court for breaching safety regulations.
Mr Delargey, from Kirkcaldy, who still works with C&F Electrical Services, said the horror of what happened that day will stay with him forever.
“One minute we were working away and the next minute there was this almighty explosion and suddenly I was on fire.
“I remember feeling my hair was on fire first and reaching up and patting my head with my hands, trying to stop the flames.
“I recall Russell screaming and running out. I followed him out, holding my hands out as there was skin dripping off them.
“Skin was also dripping off my nose and my ears. It was incredibly gruesome and I remember thinking… that it was likesomething out of a horror movie.
“Within minutes the fire service was there but the ambulance service took alot longer. When it finally arrived theparamedics gave me injections for the pain and I was taken to hospital straight away.
“The pain was so severe and the burns were so bad they had to put me into a drug-induced coma for four days. So I wascompletely out of it during that time but when I woke up I was in agony.”
Mr Delargey was later transferred to Ninewells Hospital’s dedicated burns unit in Dundee and spent 10 days receivingspecialised treatment.
“When I was released home I was still in absolute agony,” he recalls.“My partner Carolyn was amazing, an absolute godsend, helping me to eat and get dressed and bathe.
“Even the most simple of tasks I couldn’t do any more and that was incredibly frustrating. The accident took away my independence.”
Mr Delargey suffered 10% full thickness burns and was off work for almost a year while receiving treatment for post traumatic stress disorder. He has been left withpermanent scarring to his neck and face.
Asked if he felt the fines to the companies were fair, said: “I think that Raytheon, being a multi-million-pound company, should have been fined a lot more.
“They won’t even notice it but for me and Russell, we weren’t just hurt physically, we were scarred emotionally too and there’s no price that can erase our horrific memories of that day.
“As a result of the accident there are now more stringent safety measures in the type of work I do and it makes me a happy man to know that what happened to me will hopefully never happen to anyone else.”