In May 2004, we reported Scotland’s worst ever industrial disaster when the
Stockline plastics factory in Glasgow exploded leaving 9 dead and 40 injured.
It was another searing indictment of breaches in Health & Safety
legislation, now a matter of course in Britain. Public anger ran high as extensive news coverage showed 4 days and nights of rescue workers in the
rubble of the 4 storey building searching for survivors. Ex-employees told
journalists they had been sacked after raising concerns about safety. One man
claimed the gas oven was shielded by a metal door improvised from the rear end of an old bin lorry. The authorities
in Glasgow launched a criminal investigation which turned into a dead end
and the 2 companies jointly responsible, ICL Tech and ICL Plastics, faced only
charges relating to Health & Safety. On 26th and 27th August 2007, the
accused companies admitted 4 Health & Safety offences at Glasgow’s High
Court. As the inquiry drew to a close, lawyers for the companies pleaded for
leniency, asking that the subsequent fine be "not too severe" as to
force their clients into bankruptcy. They were fined £400,000.
The court heard that risk assessments in the factory were "carried out
by a student on a holiday job" who was also the son of one of the company
directors. An expert stated the estimated cost of replacing
the leaking, corroding pipes, which had never been properly lagged,would have been £405. The cause of the explosion was established as
ignition of gas, built up due to leakages in old pressurised petroleum gas
pipes that had never been lagged with suitable anti-corrosion protection.
Kirsteen Murray, whose brother died in the explosion was one of the many
relatives in court. She said, "It has taken over 3 years to come to court
and the result is pointless. A £400,000 is no deterrent…I spoke to a relative
of mine who said his house was worth almost as much".
But Lord Brodie, who presided, said the fine should not be equated with
the loss of life. "It is balanced against the company’s ability to keep
trading and providing employment," he mused. Oh really! How
considerate of the noble Lord to think first and foremost about our employment
opportunities! Who would want to work in a place where bosses neglect the
safety of their workers and the premises to such an extent the place
goes up in a massive explosion for the sake of £405?
This single horrific fatality should never have occurred, that much is
obvious. 3 years after the explosion, one would have thought that employers
would have been shocked into some action to ensure the safety and health of the
people who create the wealth they enjoy; sadly, the most up to date figures
show that this is not the case. In the TUC’s document, "Risks" of
August last year, the report showed, "Scotland has the UK’s worst
prosecution record and highest fatality and injury levels. It also has the
lowest penalties for safety offences".(TUC Annual Report. Risks (219)). As
recently as February the TUC website reported, "European research
published today (Feb 21) exposes the myth that British workers are quick to use
illnesses caused by their work as an excuse to ‘throw a sicky’. In fact the
study shows that British workers are the least likely in Europe to complain
about the affect of work on their health".
The latest official figures for 2005/6 from the Health
& Safety Commission (HSC) website reveal 2 million workers in Britain are
suffering ill-health due to work related illness. In a section entitled,
"Progress on fatal and major injuries" HSC report that their
initiative to reduce these catastrophes for the decade 1999-2009 is "not
on course" (their emphasis). But at the same time the number of
working days lost due to illness has decreased! "There has been a
significant decrease since 2000". This is due to the constant bully boy
management techniques in place, especially, but not exclusively in the private
sector. Workers are faced with speed-ups to maximise profits. This raises the
question: Given the scandalous figures reported by trade unions, HSC,
and on the T&G website, there must surely be evidence of an increase
in prosecutions against ruthless firms who disregard Health & Safety
legislation? Alas, no – in 2005/6, the period covered by the HSC figures
and one in which Scotland was shown to have the poorest record in workers
safety, prosecutions were DOWN by 23% (hse.gov.uk/statistics). Sadly, those who
perished so tragically in the Stockline plastics explosion in May 2004, will
simply be lost in the figures.
