Stockline Plastics factory explosion

On May 11, 2004, the ICL Plastics factory (Commonly referred to as Stockline Plastics factory due to initial media reports using this name - see detailed explanation below), in the Woodside district of Glasgow in western Scotland, exploded, killing nine people, including two company directors, and injuring 37, 15 seriously. The four-storey building was largely destroyed.

Response

The explosion occurred at around midday BST (11:00 UTC). Approximately 60 people worked in the factory, and around a dozen were trapped in the rubble. Fire crews used specialist search-and-rescue equipment, including sniffer dogs, carbon dioxide detectors (which detect the respired carbon dioxide of trapped persons), thermal-imaging equipment, and fibre-optic cameras to search for people trapped in the collapsed building. Some trapped workers were able to make themselves heard by shouting, or by using their mobile phones. Fire crews pulled seven people alive from the rubble on May 11. The search through the factory's ruins continued for the following three days.

Up to 200 firefighters were present at the scene and were supported by paramedics, the crew of a Sea King rescue helicopter from RAF Leconfield, North Yorkshire, and a sniffer dog team from RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire. The volunteer group International Rescue Corps, who specialise in travelling to the site of earthquakes and helping locate survivors, sent eleven of its Scottish members to the scene.

The injured were taken for treatment to five hospitals in Glasgow; the most patients were taken to Stobhill Hospital, Western Infirmary and Glasgow Royal Infirmary, and the remaining were treated at Southern General and Victoria Infirmary. Seven people were declared dead at the scene, and two died in Western Infirmary. One firefighter was taken to hospital after being overcome by fumes, and several were stricken by heat exhaustion while labouring in the hot and humid conditions.

Strathclyde Police named the deceased as Annette Doyle (32), Peter Ferguson (52), Thomas McAulay (41), Tracy McErlane (27), Ann Trench (34), company directors Stewart McColl (60) and Margaret Brownlie (49), Kenneth Ronald Murray, (45), and Timothy Smith (31). With the recovery of Mr. Smith's body from the site on May 14, Strathclyde Fire Brigade announced that they believed no hope of recovering live victims remained.

Cause

The cause of the explosion was initially unknown. Some press coverage reported eyewitness accounts of gas industrial ovens in the coating department exploding. This has since been shown as unlikely as the gas ovens used on site have been found intact.

Another theory investigated by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) was that there was no explosion. An article in the [http://news.scotsman.com Scotsman] newspaper of October 5, 2004 stated that the HSE was investigating the possibility that heavy machinery and pallets kept on the upper floors caused the floor to collapse, bringing the rest of the building down with it.

Other theories included a dust explosion and a build-up of methane beneath the building.

However the final inquest of the HSE indicated that the explosion was due to an ignition of gas released by a leak in a pressurised petroleum gas pipe. [http://www.midlothianadvertiser.co.uk/latest-scottish-news?articleid=3036615] [http://www.theherald.co.uk/news/news/display.var.1552190.0.0.php] [http://www.theherald.co.uk/news/news/display.var.1552171.0.0.php]

Confusion over Name

Although regularly referred to as the "Stockline Plastics factory", largely due to the signage around the building, the factory was owned by ICL Plastics and indeed a large majority of the work that took place there was for ICL Technical Plastics. The offices on the floors above were used by ICL Plastics, ICL Tech and Stockline Plastics.

Stockline Plastics was a distribution company and did not manufacture anything, therefore did not require a factory. Stockline Plastics are not being charged at all in relation with the incident as they had no involvement with the factory.

Aftermath

The Grovepark Fund, established to help the families of those killed and injured in the blast, received a boost when the departing Celtic F.C. star, Henrik Larsson, announced that the shirt he wore in his farewell match against Seville on Tuesday would be auctioned in aid of the appeal. It is expected to attract bids of up to £10,000.

A memorial service took place in the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall on July 4, 2004. Another was held at Community Central Hall on May 11, 2005, one year on from the tragic event.

Prosecution - February 17, 2006

The Crown Office decided on 17 February to prosecute ICL Plastics Limited and ICL Tech Limited under the Health & Safety at Work Act following a report conducted by the Glasgow Procurator Fiscal and HSE.

The company has been accused of;
* Failing to maintain pipes carrying hazardous gas
* Failure to ensure the safety of staff and visitors
* Failing to carry out suitable and sufficient risk assessments

A public inquiry will be carried out after the criminal proceedings are concluded.

The original hearing date of December 12, 2006 was postponed as "The timescale that the defence solicitors have been afforded for their preparation of the case has been significantly less [than the Procurator Fiscal's] ".

The trial, which began on August 13, 2007. [http://www.midlothianadvertiser.co.uk/latest-scottish-news?articleid=3036615] [http://www.theherald.co.uk/news/news/display.var.1552190.0.0.php] , concluded on August 17, 2007, with the operators ICL Tech Ltd and ICL Plastics admitting to 4 charges in court.

On August 28, 2007 a fine of £200,000 (around $400,000US) was imposed on each of the two companies responsible (ICL Plastics Limited and ICL Tech Limited) [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/glasgow_and_west/6966456.stm BBC NEWS | UK | Scotland | Glasgow and West | Court fines factory blast firms ] ]

Public Inquiry

The ICL Inquiry is taking place in Maryhill Community Central Hall, and started on 2nd July 2008, after extensive refurbishment work was carried out on behalf of the Scottish Courts Service to make the venue suitable for the public inquiry. The Crown, the victims' families, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and ICL are all represented. The inquiry will examine over 20,000 pages of evidence and is expected to take three weeks to complete the first phase of factual enquiry. The second stage, which will look at causes and reasons, will begin in October 2008 and is expected to take a further four to six weeks. The inquiry is chaired by Lord Gill. Roy Martin Q.C., a former Dean of the faculty of Advocates, is lead counsel for the inquiry.

External links

* [http://www.theiclinquiry.org/ The ICL Inquiry]
* [http://www.hazards.org/icldisaster/index.htm Report from Universities of Strathclyde and Stirling] ICL/Stockline disaster: an independent report on working conditions prior to the explosion
* [http://news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=1156 Latest News from Scotsman.com]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/3703951.stm BBC News: Factory explosion kills four] (Tuesday)
** [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/3705871.stm Blast survivor search continues] (Wednesday)
** photographs of the scene on [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/3704367.stm Tuesday] and [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/3706785.stm Wednesday] and [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/3710109.stm Thursday] and [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/3714233.stm Friday]
* [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,1-1106504,00.html The Times: On the spot: at the Glasgow factory explosion] (Tuesday)
** [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,1-1107312,00.html Seven dead after factory blast, but rescuers hopeful] (Wednesday)
* [http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,1214677,00.html The Guardian: 'There was a massive bang, the whole lot came down on top of me'] eyewitness accounts of survivors
* [http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=2911308 The Scotsman: Four Die in Factory Blast Horror]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/4533425.stm BBC News: Factory blast report 'considered']
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/3918723.stm BBC News: Blast site given back to owners]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/4534581.stm BBC News: Factory blast anniversary marked]

References