SHP Online is operated by a business or businesses owned by Informa PLC and all copyright resides with them. Informa PLC's registered office is 5 Howick Place, London SW1P 1WG. Registered in England and Wales. Number 8860726.
A third body has been found at Wood Flour Mills in Cheshire following an explosion and fire last Friday (17th July).
Four people were trapped in the blaze, which caused the collapse of a four-storey building in Bosley, near Macclesfield.
The police said Wednesday was “a significant day for action” at the site, with the removal of three silos allowing for a search and recovery operation to access an area indicated by search dogs, where the body was found.
Police have said that a body recovered on Sunday is “probably” Will Barks, 51, while a second body, found on Tuesday, is yet to be identified. Efforts continue to locate those unaccounted for, police added.
Mr Barks is feared dead along with fellow workers Jason Shingler, 38, Derek Moore and Dorothy Bailey, both 62.
The families of those missing will visit the site – owned by Wood Treatment Ltd, part of The Boden Group of Companies – later today.
A joint investigation is under way between police, the fire service and the Health and Safety Executive to establish the cause of the blast.
Assistant Chief Constable Guy Hindle said: “We continue to work with our colleagues in very difficult conditions with ongoing risks- it is an extremely complex scene to examine and we’ve not yet got full access to all of it.
“Each agency has a wide range of expertise and we are working hard together to find the missing people.
“In the meantime we are interviewing witnesses and gathering other evidence, all of which will form the investigation.”
Temperatures reached 1,000C during the explosion and blaze, which caused the collapse of the four-storey building.
The site was also struck by fires in 2010 and 2012.
Wood is processed at the plant into a fine powder and the resulting “wood flour”, with a consistency like sand, is used to make laminate flooring.
Third body found in Bosley mill explosionA third body has been found at Wood Flour Mills in Cheshire following an explosion and fire last Friday (17th
Safety & Health Practitioner
SHP - Health and Safety News, Legislation, PPE, CPD and Resources
Related Topics
Are you meeting your responsibilities as a buyer of PPE and safety equipment?
Inclusivity in PPE: The manufacturer’s perspective
Future-proofing safety: Five trends shaping the PPE landscape of tomorrow
