This is why it is absolutely vital to be smart about your surroundings when performing on any outdoor stage...  

 

A guitarist who suffered horrific burns (after an electrical shock while sound-checking for a gig aboard a ferry) has won £6,400 compensation...

Dominic Zyntek, 23, from Coventry, West Midlands, ENGLAND was given compensation after being electrocuted for two minutes when he plugged in his guitar aboard the Pride of Hull ship.

The musician, who was playing at the time in a cover band, was carrying out a routine sound check when the incident took place back in November of 2012.

Emergency services were immediately called to Hull Docks and the musician - who was 21 at the time - was taken to hospital. Engineers had mistakenly given the all clear for the equipment to be used after the group’s manager was taken to hospital in Rotterdam after being badly shocked by gear the day before.

Mr Zyntek said: 'I honestly thought that I was going to die, it was like I was being burnt alive for a few minutes and the resulting burns on my hands were extremely painful.'

'All I can really remember is being given the all clear to play and as soon as I put my hand on the guitar the next thing I heard was screaming.'




I was left with really horrendous burns on my hands. I was worried I’d never be able to play guitar again.'

He was unable to perform with his group for more than two months as he could not play until his bandages were removed. His guitar was also destroyed.

The scar tissue on his hand still causes him pain now and he has since left the group to record his own music while also working at a supermarket. He added: 'I had to have silver wraps on my hands for weeks to help with the healing and the scar tissue still causes me pain even now.'

'My guitar was ruined and unfortunately I couldn’t do either my part-time job at Sainsbury’s or complete any gigs with the band for around five weeks.'


'Thankfully, I got justice, and hopefully other businesses will realise how important it is to carry out health and safety checks.'

His lawyer, Sally Rissbrook, (personal injury expert at law firm Irwin Mitchell), said: 'This was a highly distressing and painful accident and Dominic was extremely fortunate to come away only with burns to his hands as the situation could have been much more serious.'

'Dominic was informed that it was safe to use the equipment even though a separate incident happened the previous night where Dominic’s manager was taken to hospital as precaution after being electrocuted on the same stage.'

'This is highly unacceptable and another situation where poor health and safety has led to a person being badly injured at work. If the correct health and safety checks are not adhered to then incidents like this will continue to happen.'

'We are happy for Dominic that he has now achieved justice and that he can continue with his passion for music.'

A "P and O" spokesman said: 'This accident happened in 2012 and as you’d expect resulted in an immediate investigation'

'Action was taken to prevent it ever happening again by the installation of an extra circuit breaker.'

Read More...