Michael’s Story

In 2023, ETT/ SparkSafe LtP teamed up with Super Rod to help raise awareness of the ‘Save Our Sparks’ Safe Isolation campaign.

The “Save Our Sparks” campaign was inspired by Michael’s Story.   Michael Adamson was a 26 year old experienced electrician who tragically died in a preventable electrical incident in 2005.  He cut a cable marked ‘NOT IN USE’, which was in fact wired into a distribution board and was not safely isolated. His employer’s method statement said: “Before working on electrical equipment, it should be isolated and secured by means of a padlock”.

However, the devices for lock-off/tag-off were not provided by Michael’s employer.  Instead, the practice on site was to use insulating tape. This fundamental safety procedure that electricians are taught was not being implemented by the electrical contracting industry.

His sister, Louise Adamson, began Michael’s Story as a way to engage with electrical workers and business owners about the risks of poor electrical safety.  By sharing Michael’s Story, Louise aims to reduce the number of people who die or are injured in preventable workplace incidents.