Chemical Firm Fined $171K for Role in Uncontrolled Fire

Chemical maker Vertellus Specialties UK Limited was ordered by the Teesside Crown’s Court on June 12 to pay a fine totaling £135,000, or about $171,800 USD, after an “uncontrolled fire” in May 2014, the occupational safety regulator of Great Britain, Health and Safety Executive (HSE), announced.

“The fire involved large quantities of dangerous substances including Vitride, which led to this fire being declared a major incident,” an HSE press release said. “The Vitride was in drums and each one burst open causing a large fireball.”

The May 14 incident was declared a major incident by authorities, though no injuries were reported. HSE, Environment Agency (EA), and Cleveland Fire Brigade (CFB) investigators determined that the company neglected to properly maintain its equipment and did not ensure that equipment was capable of controlling temperature or preventing ignition an uncontrolled release.

“Duty holders, particularly those who could be subject to a major incident, need to carry out robust planning to prevent and control major accidents. All engineering disciplines should be used, using outside assistance if needed,” said HSE Inspector Stephen Britton in a statement. “Here there was a failure to recognize how a leak could develop into a larger problem.”

Vertellus Specialties UK plead guilty to violations of Regulation 4 of the Control of Major Accident Hazards Regulations 1999 and was ordered by the court to pay the fine and costs of £37,632.72.

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