A Thetford waste company and its two bosses, who held "reckless disregard" for the safety of their employees have been fined more than £90,000 following the horrific deaths of three workers in a slurry tank. Norwich Crown Court heard how Enviro-Waste Ltd made a catalogue of health and safety failings that led to the tragedy at a Norfolk farm three years ago. The three workers were overcome by noxious fumes and drowned in three feet of slurry at a field, near Great Hockham. One worker was cleaning the tank, when he entered an area which had dangerously high carbon dioxide and low oxygen levels. Two colleagues tried to rescue him, but met the same fate.
The court heard that Enviro-Waste had failed to provide a safe working environment for its workers and had no risk assessments in place, no slurry tank cleaning procedures, no rescue guidelines and a lax and inadequate staff training regime. In addition, the waste container in question was also missing several safety features which would have prevented entry by the three men. The company's bosses pleaded guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, and have since taken steps to make sure none of their staff encounter a similar fate.
This sorry incident has prompted the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), to issue a reminder of the dangers of working in confined spaces, an area which has now claimed seven lives in the east of England since 2003.
Specific legal duties for such work is contained in the Confined Spaces Regulations SI 1997/1713.
