A failure to adequately assess the risks of a chemical reaction at a factory producing chemical products for the newspaper, cosmetics, and construction industries, and ensure that suitable control measures were in place, led directly to a major incident on 23rd August 2007. The failure was compounded by the employee responsible for the chemical reaction not having adequate training, instruction and supervision on the operating procedures.
The chemical reaction ran out of control at the premises of Thor Specialities (UK) Ltd in Wincham, Northwich, generating toxic and flammable substances in the production area after the employee added a solid chemical into a vessel containing a liquid chemical. His assumption was that he could safely increase the rate at which the chemical was added when they initially failed to react, but the chemicals reacted too rapidly, leading to an uncontrolled runaway reaction.
An HSE official commented: “It is only luck that none of Thor’s staff were in the production hall at the time of the incident as it’s unlikely they would have been able to escape unharmed without help. They would have been at serious risk from toxic chemical exposure, or a flash fire or explosion, if the flammable vapours released had ignited. They could easily have suffered permanent injuries or even been killed.”
Thor, which operates as a Top Tier site under the Control of Major Accident Hazard Regulations 1999 (COMAH), admitted breaching S.2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and was fined £25,000 plus prosecution costs of £15,000. 19th October 2011
Source: http://www.safetynews.co.uk/
Filed under: General
