A Guisborough man has received compensation after he received a massive electric shock whit at work at Boulby Potash Mine.

The Boulby Mine, situated in northeast England is one of the deepest of its kind in Europe at over 1400m. William Vaughan, aged 55, was employed at the mine as a plater, and was welding a section of metal flooring when a fault in the equipment he was using caused him to experience a severe electric shock which lasted for over 30 seconds until the power was switched off.

The accident which happened in 2005 has left Mr Vaughan with substantial post traumatic stress and will never be able to return to his work as a plater, a career he has had since he was 15 years-old. Although he recovered well from his physical injuries he says that he is even afraid to use electrical appliances in his home. He says he could have been killed in the accident.

Mr Vaughan filed a compensation claim against Cleveland Potash Limited with the help of his trade union GMB. The claim was settled out-of-court after the company admitted liability, and Mr Vaughan received a substantial amount of money, of which details are undisclosed.

GMB Regional Officer Jimmy Skivington said: “Mr Vaughan should never have been in a situation where he was using faulty equipment. This accident could easily have been avoided if Cleveland Potash had taken adequate steps to ensure the safety of their equipment. We would urge business to make sure they are abiding by health and safety regulations by making sure equipment is maintained in an efficient state, is in good working order, and is in good repair.”