Distillex factory fire

The Distellex factory fire started at the Distillex chemical plant in North Shields, England on 12 April 2002.[1] Distillex Ltd. operated a chemical recovery service, annually recycling 10,000 tonnes (11,023 tons) of oxygenated, hydrocarbon, and halogenated solvents and 1,000 tonnes (1,102 tons) of other chemical wastes produced by manufacturing industries and laboratories.[2][3] The plant was situated in the middle of a largely residential area.

Distillex factory fire
Date12 April 2002
Time3.00 pm BST (UTC+01:00)
LocationDistillex Ltd.
East Percy Street
North Shields
Tyne and Wear
NE30 1DT
England
Coordinates55.011991°N 1.436512°W / 55.011991; -1.436512
CauseIgnition of flammable solvents by spark from cutting equipment.
InquiriesHealth and Safety Executive Case No. 10506590
Charges2 breaches of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974
VerdictGuilty on both charges; fined a total of £39,000 and ordered to pay costs of £7,975
Location of the Distillex factory in Tyne and Wear.

Fire

The fire was caused by sparks from an angle grinder igniting solvent-contaminated rags in a waste skip. This spread rapidly to a storage area holding 400,000 litres of chemicals. The fire was compounded by chemicals mixing with melting plastic from intermediate bulk containers.[4][5]

Emergency services response

Northumbria Police immediately declared a Major Incident, and set up a half-mile exclusion zone around the factory, causing the evacuation of around 500 residents. More than 150 police officers were deployed to patrol the exclusion zone while 300 fire fighters tackled the fire.[6][7][8] As the fire spread through the factory there were a number of explosions which launched containers and drums into the air and a thick plume of toxic smoke, visible more than 20 miles away, was produced.[6]

Both the Tyne and Wear Metro light rail system, between Tynemouth and North Shields, and the Tyne road tunnel beneath the River Tyne were closed down while the fire was active.[6] A 5-mile (8 km) no-fly zone was also placed over nearby Newcastle International Airport.[7] It took 25 fire appliances 5 hours to bring the fire under control, and damping down continued through the following day.[9]

Investigation

On 15 April 2002, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) began an investigation of the fire. On the same date Chris Nicholls, operations director at Distillex, told BBC Radio Newcastle that the solvents recycling operation would not continue and admitted: "Seeing the aftermath of this incident it would seem it is an inappropriate location for such an operation."[10]

Prosecution

Following the investigation the HSE prosecuted Distillex for 2 breaches of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 for failing to ensure the safety of the public and its own employees. Although Distillex pleaded guilty, magistrates at North Tyneside magistrates court instead referred the case to a crown court judge after deciding the maximum £40,000 fine they could impose was insufficient.[11] In November 2002, at Newcastle Crown Court, Judge Peter Bullock fined the company a total £39,000.[12] Alan Campbell, the MP for Tynemouth, said that the judge had been "far too lenient". He added: "I was there on the day of the fire and saw the damage and disruption it caused to North Tyneside. It was a huge risk to public safety. This is another example of the law being clear, penalties being available and courts failing to use the powers available to them."[13]

Previous incidents

On 30 January 2002, the factory was the source of a release of harmful chemical vapour after a tank containing methyl chloride overheated. The incident was reported at 6.40 am GMT and required 50 firefighters to bring it under control. A 1-mile cordon was set up by police around the factory and residents warned to stay indoors with all doors and windows closed. The Tyne and Wear Metro station at Tynemouth and nearby schools were closed.[14]

References
  1. "Large fire reported at chemical factory in northeastern England". AP Worldstream. 12 April 2002. Archived from the original on 8 August 2014. Retrieved 31 July 2014 – via HighBeam Research.
  2. "Tyneside chemical alert over". BBC News. 30 January 2002. Retrieved 31 July 2014.
  3. "U.K. solvent fire forces another evacuation". Chemical Week. 24 April 2002. Archived from the original on 8 August 2014. Retrieved 31 July 2014 – via HighBeam Research.
  4. "WHERE THE BLAZES WERE". Sunday Sun. 6 December 2009. Archived from the original on 8 August 2014. Retrieved 31 July 2014 – via HighBeam Research.
  5. Health and Safety Executive (2007). Research Report 564: Fire performance of composite IBCs (PDF). Norwich: HMSO. Retrieved 31 July 2014.
  6. "Chemical blaze inquiry launched". BBC News. 13 April 2002. Retrieved 31 July 2014.
  7. "Chemical recycling company fined for fire that evacuated homes, closed airport". AP Worldstream. 15 November 2002. Archived from the original on 8 August 2014. Retrieved 31 July 2014 – via HighBeam Research.
  8. Major Incident is an emergency services and emergency planning term used in the UK to describe "an emergency that requires the implementation of special arrangements by one or more of the emergency services which may also involve other agencies such as Local Authorities, the National Health Service, the Environment Agency, military and voluntary agencies".
  9. "Buildings danger after chemical fire". BBC News. 13 April 2002. Retrieved 31 July 2014.
  10. "Chemical fire factory will not reopen". BBC News. 15 April 2002. Retrieved 31 July 2014.
  11. "Chemical fire firm admits safety errors". BBC News. 1 October 2002. Retrieved 31 July 2014.
  12. "Chemical fire firm fined". BBC News. 17 November 2002. Retrieved 31 July 2014.
  13. "Distillex penalty too lenient - MP". News Guardian. 20 November 2002. Retrieved 31 July 2014.
  14. "Toxic leak generates major alert". News Guardian. 31 January 2002. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
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