Wirral factory fined after employee turns into human fireball

The 45-year-old from Kirkby, who has asked not to be named, was kept in an induced coma for seven weeks following a chemical explosion at SAFC Hitech Ltd's plant in Bromborough on 28 February 2012. The company was prosecuted by HSE for failing to carry out a suitable risk assessment for dealing with the waste produced by a chemical manufacturing process, failings in supervision and monitoring, and failing to ensure the safety of employees. The company had been manufacturing a chemical called trimethylindium, or TMI, which is used during the production of LEDs and in the semi-conductor industry, Liverpool Crown Court heard. Waste from the purification process had been left on a bench to deactivate in an unsealed glass bottle, despite being explosive if it is exposed to air or water. Shortly after starting his shift, the worker entered the waste deactivation area and the waste in the glass bottle exploded, sending shards of glass across the yard. He does not remember the incident but one of his colleagues reported seeing him running around in a ball of flames. The employee was taken to a specialist burns unit and induced into a coma. He was kept in hospital for almost three months, and still has extensive scars and difficulty moving. SAFC Hitech Ltd pleaded guilty to single breaches of the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002 and the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. The company, of Power Road in Bromborough, was fined a total of £120,000 and ordered to pay £13,328 towards the cost of the prosecution. HSE Inspector Semra Zack-Williams said: "One of SAFC's employees has suffered burns that will affect him for the rest of his life, and has so far been unable to return to work due to the extent of his injuries. "The procedure the company had for dealing with waste produced from the TMI purification process was inadequate, and staff were not sufficiently supervised or monitored."