A worker was seriously injured in an accident whilst handling acetylene, with two more suffering lesser injuries.
Acetylene is highly unstable when in it's natural gas state, and exploded when being transferred into a cylinder by 57-year-old Arthur Garton.
The explosion led to a fire, which burned for eight days. The fire was observed by Avon Fire and Rescue Services before it was extinguished.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have fined the company who employed the unfortunate man, BOC Ltd. based in Guildford £175,000. They were charged with failing sections under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, finding that BOC Ltd. did not place necessary measures that would have prevented such accidents.
HSE inspector, Evan Bale, said, "Mr Garton’s serious injuries could have been avoided with some simple measures such as a thorough assessment of the risks, including an identification of human error potential and the design of the work."
Cedrec's take
At Cedrec, we have worked through an influx of new acetylene legislation and guidance, including the new Acetylene Safety (England And Wales and Scotland) Regulations SI 2014/1639. Such a substance must be controlled safety, for the benefit of the company using it, and employee safety.
Keep on top of acetylene compliance and much more with Cedrec.
