A manufacturer of military flares has been ordered to pay £376,000 in fines and costs following a fatal explosion at its factory in Hampshire.
Anthony Sheridan, 37, was killed from injuries sustained in the blast at Wallop Defence Systems Ltd’s factory in Middle Wallop, near Stockbridge, in June 2006.
He was emptying one of six industrial ovens used in the manufacture of military flares. The ovens contained high levels of nitroglycerin (NG), which exploded. The blast destroyed the factory building, throwing debris a distance of more than 600ft, and injured several workers.
The HSE investigated the incident and learned the company had been aware of the presence of NG since 2004. None of the firm’s senior management team or technical advisors was competent to work with the dangerous gas and they had failed to seek external advice.
Inspectors also found Wallop Defence Systems had failed to adhere to the licensing requirements for the storage and processing of explosive substances, by virtue of not properly assessing and managing the risks.
A second explosion occurred in December 2008, when the company attempted to dismantle the remaining NG-contaminated oven at a separate site. No one was injured in the explosion. The company failed to engage with the HSE or seek competent expert advice prior to dismantling the oven.
HSE principal inspector of the explosives team Qamar Khan said: “Anthony Sheridan suffered horrifying injuries in the explosion that caused his death.
“Both this explosion and the subsequent blast in December 2008 were foreseeable and preventable had the company sought and taken appropriate advice and implemented the correct measures. If these steps had been taken, Anthony Sheridan would still be alive.
“It is especially concerning that despite issues with the factory being reported to senior management, nothing materially changed to safeguard employees and the public. The company deluded itself that everything was OK and in hand.”
Wallop Defence Systems appeared at Winchester Crown Court today (9 November) and pleaded guilty to breaching s2(1) and s3(1) of the HSWA 1974 in relation to the fatal explosion, and also to s2(1) of the same Act for the second explosion. It was fined a total of £266,000 and ordered to pay £110,000 in costs.
In mitigation, the firm said it carried out a full review of its health and safety procedures. It has subsequently invested more than £11 million to enhance its safety systems.
After the hearing, a spokesperson for the company said: “Wallop takes health and safety extremely seriously. During the six years since this incident took place, the company has made every effort to prevent such a tragedy from happening again and a full review of the manufacturing process has been undertaken.
“An entirely new management team is now in place at Wallop, and the company has cooperated fully with the HSE at all stages of its investigation.”
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Spot on, redken. You’d expect a company like WDS to be on the local HSE ‘Visit every 6 months’ list. Perhaps they were busy elsewhere…
David, why should the new team take any blame? They took over something that was faulty and fixed the faults, spending £11m in the process. Surely they did what everyone always clamours for – sweep out the old management, replace with new management, spend money fixing faults. What more do you want?
I would have thought that the demolition work might have fallen under the scope of the CDM regulations and if this were so, then the notification to the HSE for the demolition of the second oven would have rung alarm bells.
It would seem that as no notices were issued by the HSE prohibiting further demolition without notification, that an opportunity was missed to prevent the second explosion.
“An entirely new management team is now in place at Wallop, and the company has cooperated fully with the HSE at all stages of its investigation.”
In other words, “I wasn’t here when this happened, so I’m not taking any of the blame for it.”
I think my point was missed, Andrew.
I accept that the current management isn’t at blame, but my comments were aimed at why the negligence of the previous senior management was apparently not recognised and that the previous senior management were not held personally accountable for their actions.
“WDS had realised in 2004 that their process for curing pellets as part of the production of military flares produced the explosive chemical as a by-product.” –
was killed from injuries sustained in the blast at WDS, in Middle Wallop near Stockbridge, in June 2006.
A second explosion occurred in December 2008 when the company attempted to dismantle the remaining NG contaminated”
When will we see the results of the enquiry into the regulatory oversight of this company?
What a sickening statement by the company spokesperson.
Complete lack of remorse or reflection, just how well behaved we’ve been SINCE the fatality forced us to deal with something we ignored for years.
Arrogance and lack of empathy. Yuk.