Gas supplier fined over major leak
10/05/2010
Calor Gas has been ordered to pay more than £50,000 after a leak at a terminal which could have led to a "catastrophe", health and safety officials have confirmed.
The Warwick-based gas supplier admitted breaching health and safety regulations after an inquiry into the leak at Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) in Canvey Island, Essex, in October 2008. The firm must pay a fine of £27,500 along with £27,185 costs after the hearing at Basildon Crown Court.
A HSE spokesman said: "The firm admitted breaching health and safety regulations at a major hazard site after 163 tonnes of LPG leaked into the atmosphere at the Calor Gas terminal on Canvey Island.
"The leak happened while a ship was unloading gas to the site early on 27 October 2008," he said. "The gas, which is stored in a liquid form, escaped from a pipe when an over-pressure safety device operated. The liquid evaporated on contact with the ground, forming a vapour cloud above the site."
He added: "A sensor, which is designed to detect leaks of LPG, raise the alarm and shut the emergency valves, failed to operate - allowing the release to continue unchecked."
HSE inspector John Hawkins said: "The leak could have been minimised had the sensor operated as intended. It was fortunate that the incident did not escalate further, since no emergency alarm sounded."
Officials said Calor Gas Ltd admitted breaching Regulation 4 of Control of Major Accident Hazards (COMAH) Regulations 1999 and Regulation 3(1) (e) Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) 1995.
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