Alcohols Limited has been fined £270,000 and ordered to pay costs of £25,009 by Wolverhampton Crown Court having pleaded guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The prosecution followed a fire at a distillery in Oldbury that engulfed a 21-year-old worker in flames. The fire also destroyed the warehouse and everything in it.
The fire started as ethyl acetate, which is highly flammable, was being transferred from a bulk storage area into an intermediate bulk container. An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that a discharge of static electricity generated by the transfer of the liquid was the likely source of the ignition; the resulting fire caused 20% burns to the employee, sustained on his head, neck and hands.
The investigation found that the pipework and associated valves were poorly maintained and there was a failure to competently inspect the equipment or monitor the systems of work.
HSE inspector Kieron Jones said, “Companies that fail to ensure the integrity of their safety critical equipment place their employees, members of the public, emergency services and their entire livelihood at risk of serious harm. Poor management of highly flammable liquids can have catastrophic results both for individuals and businesses.”
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