The Health and Safety Executive has ordered two companies to pay fines for safety breaches following a serious chemical fire in Crewe.
Waste recycling company, Greenway Environmental Ltd and waste shredder manufacturer, Pakawaste Ltd, were ordered to pay a total of £224,530 at Chester Crown Court on 28 July.
It followed an investigation into the explosion and fire at Aztec Aerosols on the Gateway Industrial Estate on 4 June 2007.
The court heard the fire was caused by an explosion in an aerosol-shredding unit and had to be put out by more than 100 firefighters. The unit had been designed, manufactured and supplied by Pakawaste, and was being used on Greenway’s premises.
"Many of the aerosols shot into the air and onto nearby roads after setting alight, and neighbouring buildings were damaged," The HSE said. "A 200-metre exclusion zone was set up while fire crews brought the blaze under control, and explosions of drums and cylinders could be heard more than half a mile away."
The HSE investigation found the machine had not been designed to safely shred waste containers containing residues of flammable liquids and gases, with unsafe operating procedures in place. It also concluded that it should have been operated in a segregated area away from where flammable substances were being stored.
Greenway pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 by failing to ensure the safety of workers. It was fined £37,500 and ordered to pay costs of £50,000.
Pakawaste pleaded guilty to breaching Section 6(1)(a) by failing to ensure the shredding unit was designed and constructed to be safe. It was fined £50,000, with costs of £87,030.