Chemical Fire Results in Company Fine of £150,000
Published Date: 24th December 2009
An international waste management company responsible for a huge chemical blaze in Lancashire, has been fined £150,000 for breaching health and safety regulations.
Two motorways were closed for several hours during the fire and 66 fire-fighters were called to tackle the blaze on 2 July 2007 at the Red Scar Industrial Estate in Preston.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecuted Veolia ES Cleanaway after a 15 month investigation with the Environmental Agency and Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service.
Preston Crown Court heard that the fire started just after 6am, in an area which is used to store drums of chemicals .It was extinguished by mid afternoon after more than 132,000 litres of chemicals were set alight. HSE Inspector Peter Gray stated that the fire was likely to have been caused by lithium batteries igniting.
The area was utilised for storing flammable solids but in the immediate locality were flammable liquids, toxics and corrosives which had not been sufficiently separated and this heightened the intensity of the blaze. The batteries, which can ignite spontaneously if, for example, they come into contact with water or suffer impact, were stored in yellow bins for clinical waste. Inspector Gray commented that the storage for the batteries was inadequate and this increased the risk of self-ignition.
The investigation showed that Veolia had no specific risk assessment in place and they did not do enough to ensure that the dangerous chemicals on site were stored safely. This resulted in the fine of £100,000. The company also failed to provide appropriate training for its staff and as such were fined £50,000 accordingly.
Following the incident, the HSE issued the Company with an Improvement Notice requiring the revision and rewriting of site-operating procedures. Three further enforcement notices, covering breaches of fire-prevention regulations, were also issued by Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service.
An Investigating Officer at the Environment Agency stated “This was a serious incident, which had the potential to cause long term environmental damage, as well as posing a risk to staff and members of the public. Any business handling hazardous waste must ensure that they have suitable procedures in place to identify, store and transport this type of waste”.
The HSE is warning businesses to be aware of chemicals and substances in workplaces that may cause potential fire hazards. It is imperative that all businesses follow CoSHH regulations in order to effectively store chemicals and other hazardous substances.