Essar Oil (UK) Ltd fined £1,650,000 after explosion at refinery [remove for online]
Health and Safety Executive v Essar Oil (UK) Ltd (2017) Liverpool Crown Court, April 3
Statutory reference: regulation 4 of the Control of Major Hazards Regulations 1999 (CMHR)
Essar Oil (UK) Ltd has been fined following an explosion at its refinery in Ellesmere Port, which caused more than £20 million worth of damage.
The facts
· In November 2013, during the startup of the refinery’s main distillation unit, highly flammable hydrocarbons were allowed to enter an unignited furnace. The heat from another furnace triggered a major explosion which destroyed the furnace, caused internal structures to collapse and started a number of fires.
· The company had failed to take all measures necessary to prevent or mitigate a major accident.
· A safety-critical valve was ordered and installed incorrectly and the company failed to correctly validate its operation.
· The company failed to adequately assess the installation of a new safety-critical trip. It failed to recognise that the system had a bypass line which defeated the trip’s operation.
· The company’s policy was to isolate main fuel lines to the furnace. Hydrocarbons entered the furnace through a secondary fuel line which had not been isolated when shut down.
The decision
The company was fined £1,650,000 plus £57,000 costs under regulation 4, CMHR.