Paul Doyley died two weeks after a chemical explosion at his workplace
A chemical company has been fined £3m after a worker was killed in an explosion.
Paul Doyley, 48, died after inhaling toxic fumes when a container ruptured at Cristal's plant in Stallingborough, Lincolnshire, in 2010, Hull Crown Court heard.
Another man, Ronald Ingoldby, was left with irreversible lung damage following the blast on 5 March.
The firm previously admitted breaking health and safety regulations.
Sentencing Cristal, judge Jeremy Richardson QC said a '"very serious dereliction of duty" exposed employees and members of the public to "the danger of chemical poisoning".
"This is a comprehensible, shameful episode in the history of the company", he added.
The firm was fined for three criminal breaches of health and safety regulations.
A container at the Stallingborough chemical plant exploded releasing toxic fumes, which killed Mr Doyley
Mr Doyley, who had worked at the site for 20 years, was working a night shift at the time of the explosion.
The explosion was so powerful a thick, toxic, cloud could be seen pouring out of the factory and across the Humber Estuary, the court was told.
Shipping movements were stopped for several hours and the public was put at risk.
Mr Doyley, a father-of-two, died two weeks later.
Two of his colleagues, Steven Russell and Richard Braithwaite, were each awarded £250 from the High Sheriff's fund for putting their own lives at risk to try to rescue him, the court heard.
Cristal makes titanium dioxide - a key ingredient in paint and plastics - at its factory in Stallingborough
In a statement Cristal - which employs 390 staff and makes titanium dioxide, a key ingredient in paint and plastics - said it was "extremely sorry for the failings" and had "made significant improvements" at its site.
It said: "Safety remains our number one priority here at Cristal and we work continuously to improve and enhance our safety, health and environmental processes and procedures.
"What happened to Paul will stay with us forever. We are proud of our heritage and we won't ever take our position in the Stallingborough community for granted."
