A PHARMACEUTICAL company and two of its senior executives have been returned for trial by judge and jury following a chemical explosion at a plant which claimed the life of one employee and led to serious injury to another.
Liam Nodwell (58), a father of one from Glanmire in Cork city, was fatally injured and his workmate, Jimmy O’Sullivan, was seriously injured in a chemical explosion at the Corden Pharmachem plant in Little Island on April 28th, 2008.
Mr Nodwell died soon after being admitted to Cork University Hospital following the explosion in a process reactor in Production Block 2 on the 20-acre site. Units from Cork City Fire Brigade and Cork County Fire Brigade attended the scene.
The incident was investigated by the Health and Safety Authority, and last month Corden Pharma T/A Corden Pharmachem, with offices at South Mall, Cork, was charged with 16 offences relating to breaches of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005.
Company director Pádraig Burke, from Springfort, The Manor, Model Farm Road, Cork, and company manager Seán Kenrick, of Melbourn Close, Donnybrook, Douglas, Cork, were also each charged with 16 offences relating to breaches of the same legislation.
Among the charges are a number alleging breaches in general of health and safety regulations and a number alleging similar breaches of regulations but leading specifically to the death of Mr Nodwell and injury to Mr O’Sullivan.
The charges include failing to document the possibility of an omission from a chemical reactor and failing to provide information, instruction and training in relation to safety measures and procedures to be adopted in the event of a runaway chemical reaction.
The charges also include failing to prepare adequate plans and procedures to be followed in the event of an emergency or serious and imminent danger arising from the production of a named chemical in reactor vessel K6003 at the plant.
The charges also include failing to ensure that the K6003 reactor vessel had temperature or pressure alarms or controls, and that reliance was placed instead on operator-only control measures for the manufacture of a named chemical substance in reactor vessel K6003.
Yesterday at Cork District Court, the State solicitor for east Cork, John Brosnan, said that books of evidence had been served on the three accused, and the DPP had consented to them being sent forward for trial to the next sittings of Cork Circuit Criminal Court.
Mr Brosnan told Judge Leo Malone that there was no need for recognisances in the case, and Judge Malone granted the application.
Judge Malone returned all three defendants to appear again at Cork Circuit Criminal Court on May 10th.