GBP 60,000 fine over gas-cylinder explosion

A company has been fined £60,000 after the death of one of its employees in an explosion at its recycling site.

Reliance Scrap-Metal Merchants’ (Parkstone) director David Matthews has also been fined £1,000 for his role in the accident.

A worker died after a gas cylinder exploded at one of the company's sites, killing one employee and inflicting severe burns on Mr Matthews.

The firm breached health and safety rules by allowing an acetylene canister to be fed into a crusher machine.

One of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspectors working on the case David Bell described the case as "sad".

Claiming common sense would inform the company that piercing pressurised gas cylinders would cause explosions, he states the victim would be alive if this risk had not been taken.

"If you do come across gas cylinders in your scrap-yard, then take them out of the process and store them in a secure compound before contacting the cylinder owners to arrange collection," he recommends.

Last month, the Sunderland Echo reported another accident involving the disposal of materials in which an employee was killed at a recycling plant run by Alex Smiles, which faces prosecution over the accident.