Three Hurt After Waste Management Plant Incident

A workplace injury lawyer has called for authorities to immediately investigate the events surrounding an explosion at a waste management plant in Lancashire.

Three people have suffered serious burns after the incident at the PHS Waste Management building, which also saw thick black smoke billow from the site on an industrial estate.

Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service stated that it brought the fire under control yesterday afternoon, although it has not yet been revealed what chemicals were involved in the incident.

Discussing the incident, David Urpeth of Irwin Mitchell said: “Whilst few details have emerged so far in relation to this explosion, it is vital that a swift and thorough inquiry is undertaken into how it occurred as explosions at work can pose risks to both workers and local residents.

“The involvement of chemicals in the incident is a particular cause for concern and I hope that any investigation is able to highlight how this came to pass, as well as how similarly dangerous accidents can be avoided in the future.”

Mr Urpeth represented over 75 workers and many residents who were injured in 2001 at the Killingholme refinery when over 170 tonnes of liquid petroleum gas caught fire, the largest chemical disaster since Flixborough.

Conoco-Phillips, which owned the plant, was eventually fined £1m for breaching health and safety regulations after the explosion at its Humber refinery.