Firms fined after canister fire death

Two companies and a manager have been fined after it was revealed that a lack of safety measures contributed to the death of a worker who suffered 90% burns when the aerosol canisters he was crushing caught fire.

Deeside Metal Company, of Saltnet, Chester, was fined £100,000 and ordered to pay costs of £10,000 after pleading guilty to breaching health and safety regulations at Caernarfon Crown Court.

Jeyes UK Ltd, of Bromfield Industrial Estate, Mold, pleaded guilty to a charge under Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and was fined £330,000 with £50,000 costs.

A separate charge was also brought against the manager of Deeside Metal Company Ltd, Robert Roberts, who was fined £10,000 after he pleaded guilty to a charge under Section 7(a) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.

The court heard that Mark Wright suffered fatal burns after Mr Roberts instructed him to crush the canisters in a metal baler. When the baler was activated, a canister caught fire, engulfing Mr Wright in flames.

It was found that proper controls were not in place to manage the extremely flammable materials that led to the 37-year-old’s death.

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