Health and Safety
Executive / Commission
Enforcement
Paul Robinson and his family
HSE investigated an incident in May 2003 at a road tanker depot in Stourbridge, West Midlands. Four employees suffered burns to their hands, heads and faces after gas vapours from a tanker barrel used to transport liquid petroleum gas ignited in the area in which they were working. The barrel was being fitted to another vehicle and no check had been made to ensure that no gas vapours were present. It was brought into a workshop where welding work was going on. Gas vapours leaked from the tanker barrel and were ignited by the welding equipment, injuring four men.
Paul Robinson aged 31, of Redditch, was one of the fitters injured in the workshop that day. He was never able to go back to his place of work as he was so traumatised by the incident. He recalls: “That afternoon we were preparing to start work on a liquid petroleum gas tank which needed to be fitted to a new chassis. The tank had been standing in the yard for several weeks. Its vents should have been open to let any residue of gas escape but they had been closed in transit while it was brought down from Scotland and they had not been re-opened. We believed the tank had been purged (cleansed) and the three of us, myself, a workmate Rob Seeney and a 17 year old apprentice were preparing to check the vessel’s safety valves before we started work on securing it to the chassis. The three of us were at the rear of the vehicle and I was lifting off the manhole cover at the rear. Part of the check on the vehicle would have involved me climbing into the tank through the manhole to examine the interior. At that point we were completely unaware that there was any leakage of gas. We could not see or smell it. There was a workman several yards behind us who was doing some welding work.”
“Suddenly there was an arc from the welding apparatus and I turned to see what looked like a wave of flame, a ball of flame rolling toward us. It was so bright, so hot and we could not breathe. I simply closed my eyes and ran as far as I could down the workshop. My hair was on fire. A workmate used a fire extinguisher on me and I was badly burned on the face and head. My workmate Rob Seeney had lifted the apprentice and thrown him clear but then bent down to the ground using his hands to shield his face. Unfortunately there was a gas pocket still there which re-ignited and burned him badly. The welder was also badly burned. My injuries have healed but I am still having counselling for post-accident trauma and flashbacks and I am now working for another employer. The lesson to be learned from all this is that is vital that safety checks are made. I want other people in this line of work to know about what happened so they are made aware. We were so lucky to escape with our lives. It could have been so much worse.”
The company involved was prosecuted under the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002. At the Magistrates’ Court, the company was fined £4,000 and ordered to pay £2,498 in costs.