Chemicals firm fined £2.5m over leaked acids

A chemical manufacturing company has been fined £2.5m after highly corrosive acids were leaked into the atmosphere.

Schools were closed in West Thurrock, Essex, and a gas cloud spread across nearby towns after the hydrochloric acid leaked from three chemical storage tanks in January 2020.

Eight months later, sulphuric acid leaked from a cracked pipe at the same site.

Industrial Chemicals Ltd pleaded guilty to four offences and was sentenced at Westminster Combined Court on 28 March.

"The uncontrolled release of significant quantities of hazardous substances in these cases was entirely avoidable," said Maria Strangward, principal inspector for the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

"An appropriate planned maintenance programme should have been in place to ensure that pipes do not fail, and valves operate."

During the incident on 6 January 2020, HSE said about 300,000 litres (65,990 gallons) was released into the atmosphere due to poorly maintained pipework.

Emergency services advised businesses and schools in West Thurrock and Chafford Hundred to shut, after a cloud of hydrogen chloride could be seen.

The HSE, which investigated and prosecuted the company, said the pipework had not been installed, maintained and inspected sufficiently.

On 29 August 2020, the sulphuric acid was released because the valve that was designed to control leaks did not operate as intended, the HSE said.

About 87 cubic metres of the acid was released into the atmosphere, and the leak continued for two days due to the "inability to operate" the manual valve.

Industrial Chemicals Ltd pleaded guilty to two offences under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and two offences under the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016.

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