A JOINER was electrocuted as he worked on an unfinished house at a building site.

Despite frantic attempts to revive family man George Olaman, the 58-year-old was certified dead shortly after his arrival at the University Hospital of North Tees, in Stockton, Teesside.

Fellow joiner Dominic Joynes was publicly thanked by Mr Olaman's widow, Carol, and her family through barrister Marc Davies on the first day of a two-and-a-half day inquest, in Middlesbrough.

Despite receiving a shock himself through Mr Olaman's body, Mr Joynes attempted mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

Mr Olaman, of Slingsby Close, Seaham, County Durham was electrocuted as he worked in an airing cupboard at an unfinished Yuill's house in Preston Dene, Ingleby Barwick, near Yarm, Teesside in August, last year. He was discovered slumped over pipework in the cupboard.

The inquest heard that a screw used to fix plasterboard to its metal framework in a downstairs toilet had penetrated a live electricity cable.

The screw, the metal studding of the plasterboard and a copper pipe leading down from upstairs where Mr Olaman had been working were all live, with electricity flowing through them.

Teesside coroner Michael Sheffield asked Health and Safety Executive inspector Paul Newton: "The electricity was run through the cable, through the screws, through the studding into the copper pipe, where Mr Olaman was working ?''

Mr Newton agreed.

Plasterer Alan Mole said he had been working downstairs in the house aware that Mr Olaman was in a bedroom cutting slats to fit in the airing cupboard.

Mr Mole said he twice got a tingling sensation as he reached with his fingers to smooth plaster work over holes for the pipework behind radiators.

He had only suspected at the time that he had received mild electric shocks.

"I was not aware it (the house) was powered up. No one told me. Normally, at that stage of a house, the power is not on.''

During the investigation into Mr Olaman's death, the Health and Safety Executive served a notice on home builders Yuill's to earth-bond all pipework.

The inquest continues.