03/11/2015
Last month Warrington Crown Court fined chemical firm, Catalloy Ltd, £80,000 and ordered it to pay £80,000 in prosecution costs after it pleading guilty to two breaches of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.
The prosecution was brought after the company made modifications to one of the reactors in its plant, which resulted in an explosion the following day. The explosion blew the lid of the reactor and other equipment through the roof of the factory and resulted in an employee suffering minor injuries.
The HSE investigation found the firm had fitted a new seal on the reactor to prevent air getting in, but had not properly considered the risks of the increased pressure inside the equipment during the production process.
The investigating officer stated after the hearing, Catalloy Ltd deals with potentially dangerous substances every day and so it’s vital nothing is left to chance when it comes to the safety of its workers.
“The company should have carefully considered the risks of sealing the reactor but instead it continued with the production process and there was a major hydrogen explosion as a result.
“Luckily, only one worker suffered minor injuries in the blast but the consequences could easily have been fatal.”
Fisher Scoggins Waters are a London based law firm who are experts in construction, manufacturing and engineering matters. If you have recently had a health and safety incident occur in your workplace, please phone us on 0207 993 6960 and let us help.