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Wirral firm fined £120k for chemical burn incident

A Wirral-based chemical firm has been fined £120,000 after an explosion left an employee with severe burns in February last year.

The 45-year-old male from Kirkby, Merseyside, was kept in an induced coma for seven weeks after he was surrounded by a fireball at the SAFC Hitech factory in Bromborough .

An investigation was launched by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), who then went on to prosecute the firm.

Liverpool Crown Court heard on Monday that the company had been manufacturing a chemical called trimethylindium, or TMI, which is used in LED production and in the semi-conductor business.

Waste from the chemical purification process was left in an open bottle, despite it being explosive when it comes into contact with air or water.

The victim, who asked not to be named, then entered the waste deactivation area when the substance exploded.

He said he could not recall the incident, but one eyewitness said they saw him running around in a ball of flames.

Following the accident the victim was kept in hospital for three months having suffered severe burns to his face, right arm and upper body.

SAFC Hitech pleaded guilty to single breaches of the Dangerous Substances and EXplosive atmospheres Regularions 2002 and the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Semra Zack Williams, said: “One of SAFC’s employees has suffered burns that will affect him for the rest of his life, and has so far been unable to return to work due to the extent of his injuries.

“The procedure the company had for dealing with waste produced from the TMI purification process was inadequate, and staff were not sufficiently supervised or monitored.

“The chemical they were handling was spontaneously combustible on contact with water or air, but SAFC did not have a suitable risk assessment in place that complied with the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations for managing the extreme risks.

“The chemical industry has the potential to be extremely dangerous, which is why it’s vital the highest standards of health and safety are followed. SAFC fell well below those standards in this case.”

The charges SAFC Hitech pleaded guilty to relate to failures around risk assessment, supervision and monitoring, as well as failing to ensure the safety of employees.

The firm was fined a total of £120,000 and will have to pay a further £13,328 towards the cost of the prosecution.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Miranda Dobson .