Toxic Leak Lands Chemical Company a Fine of £40,000
A toxic leak caused by Millennium Inorganic Chemicals Ltd, a chemical company, has led to the company being fined £40,000 and asked to pay costs of £25,000. The decision came from the Grimsby Magistrates Court, after the company pleaded guilty to contravening section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.
The incident took place in October 2006 at one of the plants operated by the company. Almost 80 litres of titanium tetrachloride (TiCl4) leaked out during the draining of a vessel. By being exposed to the humidity in the air, the substance turns toxic. TiCl4 is an intermediate product that is created during the production of TiO2, which is the primary product for the company. TiO2 is extensively used in the manufacturing process for many items such as plastic bags and paper coatings.
The leak could have taken dangerous proportions, but an operator who turned off the valve in time and stopped the leak, prevented the situation.
The investigating officer from the HSE, Mike Nind confirmed that the accident could have been much more serious, and could have led to the loss of lives of people living close to the plant. He said that the presence of mind of the operator, who turned off the leak, prevented a major mishap.
Mr. Nind also remarked that the investigation had revealed various areas of non-compliance by the company. Some of these were not adhering to the design specifications, lack of risk mitigation measures, and insufficient supervision. The entire incident could have been prevented if these safety measures would have been properly adopted.
Keep up-to-date with health and safety regulations that can save employees from serious injury and avoid court procedures that can cost companies many thousands of pounds. Visit the Workplace Law website and find out about the nebosh general certificate course for information about how your company can avoid falling foul of health and safety legalities.
After the verdict, the HSE has issued a warning to the chemical industry, asking companies to understand how important safety at the workplace is. HSE has urged the companies to properly plan and execute the health and safety measures at their sites.
