Waste control companies fined more than £200k
Two waste control companies have been fined after a major chemical fire in Crewe.
Greenway Environmental Ltd and waste shredder manufacturer, Pakawaste Ltd, were sentenced at Chester Crown Court on 28th July and ordered to pay a total of £224,530.
The fine is in relation to an explosion and fire at Aztec Aerosols on the Gateway Industrial Estate on 4 June 2007.
The fire was caused by an explosion in aerosol-shredding equipment. More than 100 firefighters attended the scene.
The HSE said: “Many of the aerosols shot into the air and onto nearby roads after setting alight, and neighbouring buildings were damaged. A 200-metre exclusion zone was set up while fire crews brought the blaze under control, and explosions of drums and cylinders could be heard more than half a mile away.”
The investigation by the HSE found that the machine had not been designed to safely shred waste containers with residues of flammable liquids and gases. It should have been operated in a separate area away from any flammable substances.
Greenway Environmental was fined £37,500 and ordered to pay costs of £50,000 and Pakawaste was fined £50,000, with costs of £87,030.
Historic Dunstable pub destroyed in arson attack
A thatched pub in Dunstable has been destroyed in a suspected arson attack.
The Norman King pub in Church Street, Dunstable started at around 00:15 on Thursday.
The thatched building was undergoing refurbishment and luckily was empty when the fire broke out.
Bedfordshire Police said the incident was being treated as arson.
30 people from a neighbouring hotel were evacuated due to the large amount of smoke. No one was injured in the incident.
Dave Fothergill from the fire service said: “The fire had spread very quickly by the time we got there, and the fire fighters had to work extremely hard to remove the burning thatch fro the roof to save the building, as well as neighbouring properties threatened by the severe fire. Having the two aerial platforms from Bedford and Luton fire stations proved to be invaluable. We were able to place them above opposite corners of the building and this gave us great coverage to tackle the fire, as well as the opportunity to see the extent of the fire spread, so that we could tackle the fire where it was most needed.”
An investigation into the cause of the fire will now be carried out.
Sony warehouse destroyed in blaze
Eleven fire engines and 55 firefighters attended a huge fire in a warehouse and offices on Solar Way in Enfield on Monday night. The building was home to Sony’s CD distribution centre and has been completely destroyed by the fire.
Around 170 people had to be evacuated from a nearby hotel. The hotel suffered severe smoke damage and has now had to close. Firefighters instructed residents to remain in their homes with windows and doors closed.
It is thought that the fire was started by the London looters and rioters.
400 animals rescued from fire
Firefighters from Devon attended a fire at a farm in Newton Abbot on Monday evening.
The fire broke out at around 9pm yesterday. Firefighters worked to extinguish the blaze and rescue around 400 hundred animals including 200 ducklings, 150 ducks, 40 piglets and 3 dogs!
Two crews from Newton Abbot, two crews from Torquay and a Water Carrier from Torquay attended the fire.
Luckily no animals were injured in the fire.
Construction site goes up in flames
A fire broke out at a Salford construction site at around 1.30am on 4th August.
50 firefighters from the Greater Manchester area attended the scene on Ordsall’s Phoebe Street and used water jets, ground monitors and hydraulic platform vehicles to tackle the fire.
Over 30 neighbouring properties were evacuated.
The site was being used to build 79 new apartments and a Morrisons supermarket. It is thought that only the apartment side of the site was damaged in the fire.
It is not known what caused the fire but an investigation will now be carried out.
Footage of the blaze can be seen here.
Construction sites are dangerous places for numerous reasons. There are many portable electrical tools, oxy acetylene cylinders, combustible materials and numerous other types of equipment.
The fire risks associated with construction sites pose a significantly higher risk than normal office premises. In view of this, the Fire Training Academy has developed a course which specifically designed for Construction Sites.
The course is designed for relevant personnel to manage fire safety on construction sites in line with the ‘Joint Code of Practice’ Fire Prevention on Construction Sites.
The course includes the following:
- Application and scope of Fire Safety Legislation
- Fire Prevention on Construction Sites
- General Fire Precautions
- Human Behaviour in Fire and Smoke
- Fire Safety Duties
- Management of Fire Safety
- Site Fire Safety Co-ordinator
- Fire Safety Plan
- Emergency Procedures
- Managing Life Safety Systems
- Fire Hazards on Construction Sites
- Practical Exercises
- Practical Fire Extinguisher Training
Get in touch if you would like further information on this course.