A company was sentenced today for safety breaches after a fire and gas explosion at residential premises which resulted in the death of the homeowner.
A Crown Court heard that, on 11 February 2019, the local fire service were called to a fire and explosion. The occupier, was discovered during a search of the property, whilst it was still on fire. She was taken to hospital where she died the following morning.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the source of the gas escape was identified as being from a fractured six inch cast iron main running under the carriageway to the front of the property. The investigation found that the mains did not appear on the company’s drawings and had therefore not been maintained in accordance with the Pipelines Safety Regulations 1996.
The owner of the limited company pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3 (1) of the Health & Safety at Work etc Act 1974. The company was fined £5 million and ordered to pay costs of £91,487.
Speaking after the hearing, an HSE inspector said: “This incident, that put the lives of the elderly residents of a care home at risk and cost a homeowner her life, has highlighted a failure by the company to follow their own safety procedures, in this case requiring the prompt and effective investigation and correction of anomalies in their records. Other gas network operators should take the opportunity to learn from this tragic incident.”
Source: Health and Safety Executive (HSE)