A chemical manufacturing company, Calachem Limited, has been fined after an employee was scalded while completing a cleaning operation.
The injury took place when part of a production plant in Calachem Limited was being cleaned. The cleaning consisted of filling a chemical powder charging chute leading down to a reaction vessel with water that was brought to the boil by immersing a steam hose in it.
Overnight, the water in the chute boiled for the employee to continue with the cleaning the next day. In order to empty the boiling water from the chute, he opened a valve expecting the water to drain into a vessel below, but the vessel below the chute had been pressurised and boiling water erupted from the chute onto the employee.
After an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), it was discovered that the method of cleaning had changed over time without any new risk assessment being produced. Originally a fairly simple process of cleaning had been used, which involved washing down the charge chute with cold water into the vessel below. As there had been no new risk assessment when changes were made no new control measures were put in place to make the process safe.
Since the accident, Calachem Limited have changed their working practices and there is a new process with a risk assessment to clean down the plant.
The company from Manchester pleaded guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and were fined £560,000.
HSE inspector Gerard McCulloch commented that:
"If the decision to boil water in the chute instead of hosing it down with a cold water had been the subject of a risk assessment, the danger from the pressurised vessel below would have been identified prior to the incident. This would have prevented the employee severe injury and permanent disfigurement."
