An installation company and a hotel in Tubbergen, the Netherlands, have been fined, and an internship supervisor has been sentenced to community service, following the death of a 16-year-old intern. The teenager died on 14 May 2024 from electrocution while tracing a power fault. The Public Prosecution Service (Openbaar Ministerie) closed the case through punishment orders, without court intervention.
Circumstances
The intern was training as a trainee electrical fitter at the installation company where he worked, in Tubbergen, the Netherlands. On the day of the accident, he and a colleague had spent roughly a day and a half tracing a power fault in the conservatory of the hotel where the work was being carried out. In the course of this, he entered a damp crawl space. There, an open junction box contained a wire that was still live. The installation had not been de-energised or checked beforehand. He received an electric shock and died at the scene from electrocution.
Conclusions
According to the Public Prosecution Service, the cause of death was electrocution from contact with a live wire in a damp crawl space. The investigation found that the work had not been carried out with the power switched off, and that the installation had not been properly checked before work began.
The Public Prosecution Service states that the installation company, the hotel, and the internship supervisor all fell short in complying with safety regulations. Specifically, this involved working without switching off the power, a missing or inadequately applied risk inventory and evaluation (RI&E), and insufficient supervision of the young intern. According to reports, the parties involved also failed to give sufficient consideration to the intern’s young age.
The case was settled through punishment orders, outside of court:
- The installation company received a fine of 60,000 euros.
- The hotel received a fine of 15,000 euros.
- The internship supervisor was sentenced to 40 hours of community service.
Recommendations / lessons
Several lessons can be drawn from this case for practice. The Public Prosecution Service emphasises that employers must supervise young interns, ensure a safe workplace, and protect them against risks.
In addition, this case illustrates that electrical work should, as standard practice, be carried out with the power switched off, with the installation checked beforehand — particularly in damp spaces such as crawl spaces. The case also underscores the importance of a sound RI&E that is genuinely applied in practice prior to work commencing. Finally, the case shows that the guidance and supervision of young interns must be tailored to their young age, and that high-risk tasks should not be carried out without adequate supervision.
Sources
- Public Prosecution Service (Openbaar Ministerie), press release: [Fines and community service for fatal workplace accident involving intern](https://www.om.nl/actueel/nieuws/2026/08/24/boetes-en-werkstraf-voor-dodelijk-arbeidsongeval-met-stagiair)
- NOS: [Fines and community service after fatal accident involving 16-year-old intern in Tubbergen](https://nos.nl/artikel/2628189-boetes-en-werkstraf-na-dodelijk-ongeval-van-16-jarige-stagiair-in-tubbergen)