text: An apprentice electrician fell off a ladder and died in front of his father after he was electrocuted while testing lights in a factory, an inquest has heard. Nathan Brown, 19, was working with his father David, an experienced electrician, when he apparently touched a set of exposed electrical bars powering a crane. The shock caused him to fall 12ft head first onto the roof of a toilet block below the crane. He was airlifted to hospital but later died from his injuries. Tragic: Apprentice electrician Nathan Brown died after being electrocuted while testing lights . Accident: Nathan fell 12ft from a ladder after being electrocuted, and later died of his injuries . The inquest in Oldham heard that Nathan - described by his family as a 'cheeky, happy boy' - trained to become an electrician so he could follow in his father's footsteps. The pair were both working at Eurofabs UK Ltd, a sheet metal manufacturer in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, when tragedy struck in September 2013. Nathan was told to climb up a ladder onto the walkway of a crane and test the lights in the building's roof, taking readings and shouting them down to his father - a task as easy as plugging in a television. But he accidentally touched a 400-volt busbar, a metal strip which conducts electricity within a switchboard, while he was trying to climb high enough to carry out the tests. Forensic pathologist Philip Lumb told the inquest he found burn marks consistent with electrocution on Nathan's arm. Family: The 19-year-old was working with his father David, an experienced electrician, at the time of his death . He said: 'I gather Nathan was an apprentice electrician who was working for his father and contracted by a company called Eurofabs to conduct a complete electrical inspection. 'One of his duties was to inspect one part of the roof. In order to gain access, Nathan had to get on top of a toilet block and place a ladder against an electrical crane to access the platform where the lights were located. 'His father was working in the premises at the time. A short time late his father saw Nathan fall head first into the roof of the toilet block, about 12ft. He did not note any sounds of attempts to break his fall. 'He went to attend to him but found him in a collapsed condition, although his father said he may be able to feel a pulse.' Dr Lumb told the inquest the cause of Nathan's death was electrocution and that he probably suffered cardiac arrest before falling to the ground. His mother Nicole, 47, said she learnt of the accident when she was called by her other son Gary, who worked at Eurofabs. She told the inquest: 'He said, "Don't panic mum but Nathan has had a fall." I remember saying, "Why, what happened?" He said, "He has fallen from a ladder." 'I asked if he was OK and he said he didn't know as he wasn't conscious. He said, "You need to get here as soon as you can mum." I just rushed out the house and got on the car and drove straight over. 'I remember running up the stairs to get to him. I just got more or less up the stairs and I saw the paramedics trying to save him.' Workplace: Nathan and his father were carrying out electrical tests at Eurofabs UK in Rochdale . In a statement Mr Brown, 50, who has been an electrician for 32 years, said that his son had joined him as an apprentice in September 2012 after embarking on a three-year training course, and had completed health and safety training a month before the fatal accident. He said: 'As an apprentice he was learning on the job and only ever allowed to complete basic tasks such as basic electrics, switches, sockets and lights. 'You would only ever allow Nathan to carry out work when safe for him to do so and work within capability, knowledge and competence.' Mr Brown said he had carried out work at the Eurofabs premises twice before, and on this occasion was carrying out a general electrical survey which he likened to an 'MOT.' He said he decided to put a ladder over the toilet block beneath a 10-tonne travelling crane and had not seen the busbar overhead. He told the inquest: 'As far as I am aware the busbar should have been marked up in a sleeve with the marking "danger high voltage". I have never come across a busbar not sleeved and marked with an appropriate sign. 'Had I been aware of the presence of the busbars in such unprotected conditions then I would not have continued to take this work. In all 32 years' experience with busbars I have seen them properly protected and never come across exposed busbars as present on the day of the accident. 'That was the worst and fastest day of my life. It's a blur but I can't get rid of some of those thoughts. The test he was doing would be as simple as plugging a TV into a wall. 'I'm completely devastated by the accident and life will never be the same again. He was the light of my life and my family and I will miss him so much. Time is a great healer and I hope that will be the case.' The inquest continues.
target: Nathan Brown, 19, was working with father David testing lights in a factory .
  He climbed up on a crane but accidentally touched exposed power supply .
  The shock made him fall 12ft head first and he died of his injuries .
  Inquest hears that the power supply was not clearly marked as dangerous .