Engineer concern at blast factory

ICL Plastics and ICL Tech admitted health and safety breaches

Engineers who visited a factory which later became the site of a fatal explosion expressed concerns about a faulty oven and a leaking gas pipe.

The details emerged at a public inquiry into the blast at ICL Plastics in Glasgow, on 11 May, 2004, which killed nine people and injured more than 30.

Factory manager Nicholas Downie, who was injured in the blast, also told of the moments before the tragedy.

He told the inquiry it had "seemed liked a normal day".

The explosion was caused when a build-up of gas from corroded pipes ignited.

ICL Plastics and ICL Tech were fined �400,000 at Glasgow High Court last year after admitting health and safety breaches.

I had not noticed any unusual smells. It seemed like a normal day Nicholas Downie Factory manager

Gas engineer James Kincaid, of Boiler Scot Ltd, told the inquiry he was approached by ICL to install a new oven in 1993.

On a visit to the premises, the engineer told bosses he would not service the existing oven as there appeared to be chemicals stored nearby and there was no chimney.

Instead, he said there was an "inadequate flue" which had holes in it and the oven door was open, meaning someone could fall in.

"In hindsight I should have reported the oven to the Health and Safety Executive," Mr Kincaid said.

The inquiry also heard of problems with the leaking pipe.

'Leaking' pipe

An engineer report, dated 14 June, 1999, stated: "Arrived on site to test gas line, due to fire in factory next door.

"Gas soundness test failed. Factory's own workers will locate leak."

A report 11 days later said: "Arrived on site to carry out soundness test, found that pipe work was still leaking.

"Found that repairs had been carried out using wrong fittings."

Describing toe day of the explosion, Mr Downie, son of ICL Plastics chairman Campbell Downie, said: "I had last been in the fabrication department at about 8am that morning.

"I had not noticed any unusual smells. It seemed like a normal day."

The 43-year-old told how ICL Plastics director Stewart McColl, who died in the blast, had been telling a forklift driver to wear a hard hat, shortly before the disaster.

He said the director took health and safety "very seriously", telling the inquiry: "The last words I ever heard him speak were when he was disciplining an ICL employee."

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