HSE Prosecutes Cheshire-Based Chemical Manufacturer

In relation to a major incident involving an uncontrollable chemical reaction that occurred at Thor Specialities (UK) Ltd chemical factory in Cheshire, the company appeared at the Chester Crown Court recently. HSE brought the chemical manufacturing firm to Court for endangering the people working there to the dangers of the uncontrolled chemical reaction and its poisonous gas discharge.

The chemical manufacturing firm is a major hazard site and a Top Tier location, which regulated under the Control of Major Accident Hazard Regulations 1999. Hence, it is the obligation of the chemical provider to thwart any major incidents from arising and if it does occur then they should take all needed control actions to limit its bearing on the community and the surroundings.

The Chester Crown Court heard that the accident that occurred on August 23, 2007 could have gravely injured the workers at the factory if they were present at the time of the accident. The accident occurred due to the blunder of an employee who added more than the specified quantity of solid chemical to a container containing a liquid compound, when it failed to produce a reaction. He mistakenly expected that increasing the amount of solid compound would start the reaction. However, the reaction speedily grew into an unrestrained chemical reaction that had not controlled. This reaction was very swift, discharging and filling the production area with deadly, combustible fumes. Though no person was present at the time of the accident and its released offshoots at the production area, an employee did return to check what had transpired for the alarm to ring. However, he soon ran out of the spot due to the suffocating fumes all around.

An inquiry by the HSE subsequent to the incident revealed that the firm based in Wincham, Northwick had majorly erred in not evaluating the risks associated with the chemical reaction. The firm also did not confirm that following the incident, adequate control procedures taken. Apart from this, the employee also found to have not received sufficient training and directions. Since his superiors also not properly supervised him, he could not recognize the danger associated with raising the quantity of the chemical.