Work Accident In Scotland Prompted New Legislation

A raft of measures designed to improve gas safety will go some way to ensuring that a blast which killed nine people in Glasgow five years ago does not happen again, the Work and Pensions Secretary has claimed.

Yvette Cooper said the most important and pressing measure was the replacement of all commercial buried metallic liquefied petroleum gas pipes, work on which had already begun.

The pipework is in the process of being replaced by polyethylene models, with officials predicting the scheme will be complete by 2015. Health and Safety Executive officials say they are confident the move will "substantially reduce the risk".

Ms Cooper added: "We will also take steps to raise awareness amongst LPG users of their responsibilities within the existing legislative framework and ensure they comply with safety standards, underpinned by appropriate enforcement activity."

An inquiry into the explosion at the ICL Plastics factory in 2004 found the incident was an "avoidable disaster".

The blast, which killed nine people and left 33 seriously injured, was caused by a build-up of leaking gas from corroded underground pipes which ignited.

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