Widnes chemical firm has been fined £80,000 after a hydrogen explosion

Warrington Crown Court heard on Thursday, September 24, that the company had made a modification to one of its reactors and that the explosion took place on the first day of production after the changes were made

The spokesman added that the force of the explosion blew the lid and other equipment through the factory roof’s corrugated panels and into a neighbouring car park, while a worker suffered cuts to his hand and back

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Improvement notice: IN served – risk assessment for furnace operations is inadequate for a number of reasons including failure to fully address the risks specific to furnace operations  and inappropriate use of “generic” assessment , and failure to consider more reliable control measures in preference to personal protective equipment.  HSE inspector Mhairi Duffy said: “CatAlloy deals with potentially dangerous substances every day and so it’s vital nothing is left to chance when it comes to the safety of its workers.

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