Report
Detail:
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A Meopham-based company has been fined a total of £18,000
at Medway Magistrates' Court for breaches of health and safety legislation.
The prosecution followed a Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation
into an incident in which two employees suffered severe burns when flammablev
apours from an intermediate bulk container (IBC) that one of the workers
was working on were ignited.
The incident occurred on 13 July 2003 at Hoo Industrial Estate in Rochester,
Kent. Net-Tex Industries Ltd was fined £18,000 afterp leading
guilty to breaching s.2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work, etc Act
1974 and was ordered to pay costs of £4786. The HM Inspector of
Safety and Health, made the following points.
- The company had not taken adequate measures to control flammable
atmospheres or to eliminate all potential sources of ignition in a
part of the factory where highly flammable liquids were prepared.
- The situation had been exacerbated by the use of a recycled aerosol
products containing both highly flammable liquid and quantities of
extremely flammable LPG propellant that ignited producing a fireball.
- As a result, the fireball engulfed two employees working in the
area, resulting in them suffering very serious and extensive burn
injuries
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