Chemical storage blamed for blast

First Edition

THE WAY that chemicals were stored at the main production plant of Allied Colloids, one of the country's largest manufacturers of speciality chemicals, led to a massive explosion and fire, according to a Health and Safety Executive report, writes Malcolm Pithers.

Yesterday's report is critical of the company for storing incompatible chemicals together, and says emergency services were hampered by a lack of information on which chemicals were burning and on the toxicity of a smoke cloud released into the atmosphere. Although no one died in the blaze at Bradford, West Yorkshire, in July 1992, it caused ill-effects to dozens of people on and off-site, and serious environmental pollution. It also cost the company 10m in lost chemicals and new plant.