Chemical firm in court after fireball horror

Date:

12 November 2010

Release No:

HSE/NW/67Indorama

A subsidiary of a global chemical company has been fined £20,000 after a welder suffered serious burns in a dust explosion at one of its plants in Cumbria.

David Lightfoot, 58, was carrying out welding work on a large container at Indorama Polymers (Workington) Ltd's site in Siddick. The container housed 380 tonnes of the explosive powder, Terephthalic acid.

The company was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) following an investigation into the cause of the explosion. Workington Magistrates' Court heard that, on 29 October 2008, Mr Lightfoot was welding a metal component around a two and a half inch diameter hole that had been sealed with a temporary bung, when he was suddenly engulfed by a fireball.

Mr Lightfoot, from Cockermouth, had been welding for around 20 seconds before finding himself surrounded by flames that forced him down to his hands and knees. He and another worker jumped ten feet to the ground to escape the flames but Mr Lightfoot was left with severe burns to his head, face, arms and hands.

The HSE investigation concluded the bung had fallen out, allowing around 15 grams of the explosive powder to escape, which was then ignited by the welding flame, creating the fireball.

David Lightfoot recovering from the explosion in hospital

The grandfather spent three days in intensive care with breathing difficulties, caused by swelling and blistering to his tongue and throat. He is still being treated for the scarring to his face more than two years after the incident.

Mr Lightfoot, who lives with his son, daughter-in-law, and three grandsons, said:

"I think my family were quite shocked when they first saw me but I'm just thankful it wasn't a lot worse, and no one else was injured.

"I had to take a year off work to recover, and I still have injections in my forehead and face to try to reduce the scarring. I'll probably be scarred for the rest of my life though.

"I was told that it would be safe to carry out welding work on the vessel but it wasn't. You trust people to get it right and check things out for you but you can't take anything for granted. I just hope this case helps prevent the same thing happening to someone else."

Michael Griffiths, the investigating inspector at HSE, said:

"This was an entirely preventable incident which caused serious burns to a man's hands and face, and has left him with significant scarring.

"Indorama Polymers should have planned the work properly in advance. Either the welding should have been carried out before the hole was drilled into the vessel, or the explosive powder in that part of the vessel should have been removed before the welding started.

"It is extremely important that chemical companies treat health and safety as their top priority, to avoid terrible injuries like this occurring again in the future."

Indorama Polymers Workington Ltd pleaded guilty to a breach of Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 by putting people not in their employment at risk. The company was ordered to pay costs of £14,941 in addition to the fine on 11 November.

Information on managing the risks from fires and explosions is available at www.hse.gov.uk/fireandexplosion.

Notes to editors

1. Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 states: "It shall be the duty of every employer to conduct his undertaking in such a way as to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that persons not in his employment who may be affected thereby are not thereby exposed to risks to their health or safety."
2. The Health and Safety Executive is Britain's national regulator for workplace health and safety. It aims to reduce work-related death, injury and ill health. It does so through research, information and advice; promoting training; new or revised regulations and codes of practice; and working with local authority partners by inspection, investigation and enforcement. www.hse.gov.uk
3. Indorama Polymers (Workington) Ltd's parent company, Indorama Ventures Public Company Limited, is a Thailand-based company engaged in the manufacture and distribution of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) polymers, PET performs and PET bottles. Together with its subsidiaries, the company produces 958,000 tons per year of PET polymers. Its PET polymers are used in the manufacture of packaging materials for carbonated soft drinks, water, energy drinks, iced tea, juices and other beverages. The Company operates several PET polymers plants in Europe.

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