Fuel terminal operator fined £50,000 after petrol spill in Essex
The operator of an Essex-based fuel storage terminal has been ordered to pay £50,000 in a public liability claim, after a large and dangerous pool of petrol leaked from a road tanker while it was loading.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the road tanker overflowed in July 2007, when a shut-off valve failed.
The valve at the West Thurrock terminal was blocked by debris, preventing it from closing, so a large pool of petrol formed, putting the safety of both terminal workers and tanker drivers at risk.
The terminal operator did not adequately assess and prevent the risk created by the valve failure and failed to appropriately manage the risks created by the leak.
The company, based in Oliver Road, West Thurrock, appeared at Basildon Crown Court and after breaching Regulation 4 of the Control of Major Accident Hazards Regulations 1999. It was also ordered to pay £19,136 in costs.
HSE Inspector John Hawkins said: "This could so easily have been a very serious incident. Gasoline is an extremely flammable material, with a flashpoint of -40 degrees Celsius, and if ignited many lives could have been lost.”
Updated on 23/12/2009