Snack food giant Walkers and chemical distributor Omnichem have been fined a total of £350,000 after a worker was killed by a cloud of toxic gas.
The poisonous fumes overcame John Marriot in July 2006 as he was delivering chemicals to Walker’s Leicester plant, for use in its starch reclamation unit. The lorry’s tanks separately contained sodium chlorite and hydrochloric acid, and when Marriott accidentally mixed up the hoses he was using to transfer the chemicals at Walkers’ site, they produced dangerous green fumes of chlorine dioxide.
As soon as he realised his mistake, he stopped the transfer process. But as he started to hose the area down, the gas was already affecting him. Chlorine dioxide causes fluid to build up in the lungs, leading eventually to respiratory failure.
He was taken to Leicester Royal Infirmary but died a month later when his condition deteriorated.
HSE inspector Sue Thompson said, “This incident was entirely preventable. Basic risk assessments and clear procedure could have avoided Mr Marriott’s tragic death but as it was there were a catalogue of serious failings.”
She continued, “It took about an hour after the appearance of the gas cloud for Walkers to realise the gravity of matters, and to get employees out of the area. Walkers had no planned evacuation procedure for a chemical emergency at this location, which was a major failing. There were insufficient written procedures for deliveries of chemicals and for the receipt of chemicals, and the tanks were also insufficiently labelled.”
Walkers and Omnichem pleaded guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 by failing to ensure the safety of their employees and others. At Leicester Crown Court, the judge fined Walkers £200,000 plus £38,971 costs, and Omnichem £150,000 with costs of £29,229.
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