Firms fined over £9m for accident at workRSS Feed
An accident at work that could have caused burns and broken bones to people near the incident has resulted in five firms being fined £9.5 million.
The Buncefield oil depot explosion in Hertfordshire in 2005 injured 43 people in the surrounding area and measured 2.4 on the Richter scale.
Total UK, British Pipeline Agency, Hertfordshire Oil Storage, TAV Engineering and Motherwell Control Systems were all fined as a result of the incident that has cost around £1 billion so far.
At St Albans Crown Court, Mr Justice Calvert-Smith said the firms had displayed "a slackness, inefficiency and more or less complacent attitude to safety".
The prosecution was brought by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the Environment Agency, who said in a joint statement that it was "miraculous" that no one died from the explosion, which occurred early on a Sunday morning.
HSE deputy chief executive Kevin Myers commented: "Businesses in this sector must manage the risks they create effectively because when things go wrong, the consequences are severe and can destroy lives and shatter local communities."
Accident claims advice from Serious Law
Posted by T B Walters
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