Chemical company fined £20,000 after explosion injures worker
10:07 - 29/11/2010
Chemical company fined £20,000 after...
A chemical company has been fined £20,000 and ordered to pay court costs of £14,941 after a dust explosion at its Cumbrian plant left one worker seriously burned.
Indorma Polymers (Workington) Ltd, a subsidiary of a global chemical company, were prosecuted by the HSE at Workington Magistrate’s Court for the incident, which occurred on 29th October 2008. They pleaded guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.
The court heard how David Lightfoot, 58, was carrying out welding work on a large container at the company’s site in Siddick when he was suddenly overwhelmed by flames. The container, which had only been sealed with a temporary bung, held 380 tonnes of Terephthalic acid, an explosive powder. When the bung fell loose, 15 grams of this hazardous substance was released and then ignited by the welding flame, creating a fireball.
Despite jumping the ten foot distance to the ground in order to escape the flames, Mr. Lightfoot suffered severe burns to his hard, face, arms and hands. He was taken to intensive care, where he remained for three days. Two years after the incident, he is still receiving treatment for the facial scars he has been left with.
The family man said: “I had to take a year off work to recover, and I still have injections in my forehead and face to try to reduce the scarring. I’ll probably be scarred for the rest of my life though.
“I was told that it would be safe to carry out welding work on the vessel but it wasn’t. You trust people to get it right and check things out for you but you can’t take anything for granted. I just hope this case helps prevent the same thing happening to someone else.”
Commenting on the case, HSE Inspector Michael Griffiths added: “This was an entirely preventable incident which caused serious burns to a man’s hands and face, and has left him with significant scarring. [...] It is extremely important that chemical companies treat health and safety as their top priority, to avoid terrible injuries like this occurring again in the future.”
First Response Training, established in 1997, offers a wide variety of health and safety training courses for all industry sectors. They offer courses approved and accredited by a number of national health and safety bodies, including HSE, CIEH, IOSH, REHIS, EDI and City and Guilds.
Perry Leeks, Managing Director at First Response, explains: “As one of the largest providers of health and safety training in the UK, we believe that health and safety is more than just legal compliance; it is about creating a safe working environment where people feel valued and protected from harm. The costs of neglecting legislation and guidance far outweigh the amount spent on valuable health and safety training, as can be seen from this story.
“We are flexible and can work with you to devise a tailored health and safety training package that suits your budget. We will help you cut your spending without cutting your training and risking both your company’s reputation and the safety of your workers. Contact us today on 0800 310 2300 to find out how.”
Indorma Polymers (Workington) Ltd, a subsidiary of a global chemical company, were prosecuted by the HSE at Workington Magistrate’s Court for the incident, which occurred on 29th October 2008. They pleaded guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.
The court heard how David Lightfoot, 58, was carrying out welding work on a large container at the company’s site in Siddick when he was suddenly overwhelmed by flames. The container, which had only been sealed with a temporary bung, held 380 tonnes of Terephthalic acid, an explosive powder. When the bung fell loose, 15 grams of this hazardous substance was released and then ignited by the welding flame, creating a fireball.
Despite jumping the ten foot distance to the ground in order to escape the flames, Mr. Lightfoot suffered severe burns to his hard, face, arms and hands. He was taken to intensive care, where he remained for three days. Two years after the incident, he is still receiving treatment for the facial scars he has been left with.
The family man said: “I had to take a year off work to recover, and I still have injections in my forehead and face to try to reduce the scarring. I’ll probably be scarred for the rest of my life though.
“I was told that it would be safe to carry out welding work on the vessel but it wasn’t. You trust people to get it right and check things out for you but you can’t take anything for granted. I just hope this case helps prevent the same thing happening to someone else.”
Commenting on the case, HSE Inspector Michael Griffiths added: “This was an entirely preventable incident which caused serious burns to a man’s hands and face, and has left him with significant scarring. [...] It is extremely important that chemical companies treat health and safety as their top priority, to avoid terrible injuries like this occurring again in the future.”
First Response Training, established in 1997, offers a wide variety of health and safety training courses for all industry sectors. They offer courses approved and accredited by a number of national health and safety bodies, including HSE, CIEH, IOSH, REHIS, EDI and City and Guilds.
Perry Leeks, Managing Director at First Response, explains: “As one of the largest providers of health and safety training in the UK, we believe that health and safety is more than just legal compliance; it is about creating a safe working environment where people feel valued and protected from harm. The costs of neglecting legislation and guidance far outweigh the amount spent on valuable health and safety training, as can be seen from this story.
“We are flexible and can work with you to devise a tailored health and safety training package that suits your budget. We will help you cut your spending without cutting your training and risking both your company’s reputation and the safety of your workers. Contact us today on 0800 310 2300 to find out how.”
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