An Essex company has been fined after four of its chemical
storage tanks failed and spilled 150 tonnes of hazardous material.
An industrial estate was evacuated and access roads closed
as a result of the incident at Industrial Chemicals Limited (ICL) in Grays on
11 July 2013, although thankfully nobody was harmed.
The firm was prosecuted on 1st August 2014
by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) after an investigation found it
failed to manage, inspect and maintain the tanks in question.
Basildon Crown Court heard the incident occurred at Titan
Works on Hogg Lane when a glass reinforced plastic (GRP) tank catastrophically
failed, releasing its contents of 66 tonnes of aluminium chloride.
This caused chemical spills from a further three tanks that
were damaged by the first spillage, releasing a further 32 tonnes of aluminium
chloride and 52 tonnes of hydrochloric acid.
During HSE’s investigation, ICL was unable to demonstrate
that the tanks were being operated within their design lives, or were being
suitably inspected and maintained to ensure they were fit for continued use.
Five Prohibition Notices were served preventing the use of the remaining GRP
tanks on site.
On 16 July 2013, a further inspection was made of the
company’s metallic storage vessels by HSE’s mechanical engineering specialists,
and a further ten Prohibition Notices were served for the same reasons.
Industrial Chemicals Limited, of Titan Works, Hogg Lane,
Grays, was fined £50,000 and ordered to pay £14,231 in costs after pleading
guilty to a single breach of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.
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