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Stockline Plastics inquiry
16/07/2009
Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill today responded to the report of the independent public inquiry into the explosion at ICL Plastics in Glasgow in 2004 which resulted in the death of nine people.
Kenny MacAskill said:
"I would like to thank Lord Gill and the ICL Inquiry Team for the manner in which they handled this first joint Inquiry and for fulfilling the Terms of Reference so efficiently.
"A key message of the report is that this was an avoidable disaster and that its causes are clear. I therefore welcome the findings and recommendations in the report.
"I understand that the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions is asking HSE to carry out a full assessment of the implications of Lord Gill's recommendations and we will support and co-operate with that work to ensure that the necessary improvements to the Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) safety regime can be made.
"I am confident that the cross border co-operation that has taken place so successfully in this matter will continue in the next stages of dealing with the recommendations. It is clear that there needs to be a much better understanding of the nature of LPG risks.
"It is also very encouraging that the industry with UKLPG has already taken steps to begin work on the first important phase of the Action Plan set out in the report.
"The Inquiries Act is still relatively new and it is very reassuring to know that whilst there will always be lessons to be learned from the process, that it provided the necessary framework to ensure an efficient and effective means of exposing and addressing the relevant issues in a non-adversarial and productive way."
The ICL Inquiry is also commonly referred to as the "Stockline Inquiry".
On May 11, 2004, nine people died and 33 were injured at the ICL Plastics factory in Glasgow. LPG (Liquid Petroleum Gas) vapour, which had escaped from an on-site underground corroded metal pipe into the basement of the factory, ignited, causing an explosion, which resulted in the collapse of the four storey Victorian building.
The factory manufactured plastics products and coatings. At the time of the explosion, sixty six people worked at the premises.
In November 2006, the Crown took proceedings on indictment against ICL Plastics Limited and ICL Tech Limited under Section 33 (1)(a) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. On August 17, 2007 at Glasgow High Court, the companies pled guilty as libelled to the charges. On 28 August 2007, the two companies were each fined £200,000.
Lord Gill, Chairman of the independent joint public inquiry delivered his report to Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill and Yvette Cooper, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, on July 1, 2009.