Walkers fined £350,000 after worker dies
Food giant Walkers has been fined £350,000 after a worker was killed by a cloud of toxic gas. The Leicester-based snack producer was handed the fine alongside Melton Mowbray-based chemical distributor Omnichem.
John Marriott, 59, of Scalford, near Melton Mowbray, was working for Omnichem, on 19 July 2006 when he was “seriously affected” by green chlorine dioxide fumes, said the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
The HSE, which brought the prosecution, told Leicester Crown Court that Marriott was driving a lorry containing four steel tanks, two with Sodium Chlorite and two containing Hydrochloric Acid, to Walkers’ site in Leycroft Road, Beaumont Leys, in Leicester.
Marriott inadvertently mixed up the hoses on the tanks while transferring the two chemicals from the lorry, causing them to produce green fumes of chlorine dioxide.
When he realised his error, Mr Marriott stopped the transfer and started to hose the area down. However, the HSE said that the worker was “already starting to be affected” by the toxic gas.
After being taken to hospital, Marriott’s condition gradually deteriorated, and he died from the effects of the gas on 17 August 2006.
Walkers Snack Foods pleaded guilty to breaching two sections of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and was fined £200,000. It was also ordered to pay costs of £38,971.
Omnichem, of Asfordby Business Park, Melton Mowbray, admitted the same charges and was fined £150,000 and ordered to pay £29,229 costs.
HSE inspector Sue Thompson said: “This incident was entirely preventable. Basic risk assessments and clear procedures could have avoided Mr Marriott’s tragic death but as it was there were a catalogue of serious failings.
“Employees who had tried to help Mr Marriott did not know the type of operation that was being carried out, nor the nature of the gas being released. They had no appropriate training and they had no idea what to do.
“It took about an hour after the appearance of the gas cloud for Walkers to realise the gravity of matters, and to get employees out of the area. Walkers had no planned evacuation procedure for a chemical emergency at this location, which was a major failing.”
