A Gateshead chemicals company has been fined £800,000 after a worker ended up on life support in hospital after he suffered life-changing injuries in an explosion.
The employee of International Paint Limited spent eight days in intensive care on life support and has been left with all-over body scarring, partial blindness to one eye, hearing damage, and damage to a knee and shoulder.
The employee, who was 49 at the time and from South Shields, was making paint in a large mixing vessel, which involved the use of flammable liquids. In total, the man was off work for 16 months as a result of the incident.
Read more: Eight Newcastle schools to get knife crime 'champions' after teen 'stabbing' tragedies
The explosion happened as he was emptying resin pellets from a large bulk bag into the vessel an electrostatic spark was generated, igniting flammable vapour within the vessel, causing a large blast.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) subsequently identified that the company failed to put sufficient measures in place to control the risk.
This included a failure to use a correctly working extraction system to remove the flammable vapours and effective electrical earthing of the bulk bag to prevent the build-up of electrostatic charge that led to the static spark discharging.
International Paint Limited, of Stoneygate Lane, Gateshead pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and was fined £800,000 with £14,032 costs at Newcastle upon Tyne Magistrates’ Court on November 30, 2022.
HSE inspector Paul Wilson said: “This incident should serve as an important reminder to industry that fire and explosion can have devastating consequences.
“It is critical that employers fully assess the risk of fire and explosion including the risk from static discharges and put the necessary control measures in place.”
Read next:
- Charges dropped over Gateshead 'hit and run' which left Emmerdale actress' grandad injured
- Former Whitley Bay footballer's heartache as second friend given motor neurone disease diagnosis
- Gateshead's MC Tazo records powerful rap tribute to teen stabbing victim Gordon Gault
- Hexham sex attacker convicted of 'horrifying' attack on teen victim
- 'It wasn't his time to go': How vile raider robbed tragic pensioner Billy Jackson of his chance at happiness
