Shell UK to pay huge fines after 2008 explosion

Shell UK has been ordered to pay 1.242 million pounds in fines and legal costs for a fire at its Bacton terminal in 2008. The company was found guilty of 7 offences.

The fire and explosion were caused by a leak of hydrocarbon liquid.

A spokesperson for Shell UK said: “What happened was completely unacceptable and falls well below the standards that we set for ourselves. Safety is our company’s priority and so an incident like this is deeply disappointing,”

The Environment Agency local Environment Manager, Marcus Sibley said: “The explosion could have led to a major environmental disaster as other highly flammable materials were stored nearby,”

There were no casualties in the incident as staff were returning from the plant to the main offices for shift handovers.

Since the explosion, Shell has invested around 3 million pounds into reviewing safety procedures.