Dad of Bradley Lowery undergoes skin graft after being severely burnt while at work

Carl Lowery was severely burnt following the incident at work just three years after his son Bradley lost his life to a form of cancer. Credit: Health and Safety Executive / PA Images

The dad of Bradley Lowery underwent multiple surgeries and a skin graft after being severely burnt while at work - just three years after the youngster's death.

Carl Lowery, had been working on new apartment blocks in Salford, Greater Manchester when an electrical flash blew him backwards and burnt his arms and face on 12 May 2020.

The then 37-year-old underwent multiple surgeries following the incident and required a skin graft from his thigh.

The incident happened almost three years after Carl lost six-year-old son Bradley to a rare form of cancer.

The Sunderland fan captured the hearts of the nation during his battle with neuroblastoma, appearing as a mascot for Sunderland and England alongside "best friend" Defoe, before dying in 2017.

Along with his wife Gemma, Carl established the Bradley Lowery Foundation, which helps families that are fundraising to obtain medical equipment and treatment.

Six year old Bradley Lowery died of cancer in 2017. Credit: PA

The dad has not been able to work since the incident, and forced to learn to use his non-dominant hand to carry out tasks.

In a victim personal statement, given to a court following an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), he said: "Even when Bradley was poorly I worked. I’ve not been able to work since the accident either, mentally or physically.

"My left hand is my dominant hand and after the accident I had no grip. I had to try and learn how to use my non-dominant hand."

After pleading guilty to a health and safety offence, the company was fined £40,000 and ordered to pay £20,000 in costs at Manchester Magistrates’ Court on 14 March 2024.

Carl, now 41, had been working alongside a colleague at SRE Cabling and Jointing Limited to carry out works on the news apartments at The Crescent, Hulme Street.

The company had been sub-contracted by Aberla M&E Limited.

The pair were working on the building's main switchboard, with nearby bus bars - a metallic strip or bar - left live with electricity and covered by a guard panel.

However, a nut rolled behind a gap in the guard panel and came into contact with the live current, causing the electrical flash and blowing Carl backwards, burning his arms and face.

The HSE investigation into this incident found Aberla M&E Limited had incorrectly assumed the guard panel was sufficient separation of the workers from the live bus bars.

The company failed to take into account a gap in the guard panel, which risked nuts, bolts, tools and even fingers coming into contact with the bus bars.

Carl had been working on the building's main switchboard with another colleague when the incident happened. Credit: Health and Safety Executive

There was also a failure to issue a permit to work (PTW) on or near live components, which resulted in the main switchboard being left live.

The investigation also found a distinct lack of live works monitoring by the company, with the electrical site manager rarely visiting the work area.

HSE inspector Lisa Bailey said: “This incident has had life-changing consequences for Carl and his family. It could have been avoided if the company had actively monitored and managed procedures, to identify risks and prevent incidents.

“Working with electricity is a high-risk activity and safety must be a priority. Proper planning to ensure that risks are eliminated at system design stage is essential.”

Aberla M&E Limited, of The Parklands, Bolton, Greater Manchester, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.

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