Explosion of silo led to burns, court told

It was claimed in court yesterday that an explosion that left the directors of a company and firefighters with serious burns …

It was claimed in court yesterday that an explosion that left the directors of a company and firefighters with serious burns was caused when a seal on an airtight container was moved on the alleged instruction of a fire officer.

The officer denied giving this instruction, saying he only asked if a seal "could be removed".

Dundalk District Court heard that a back draft was created in an airtight silo at the premises of Crumb Rubber, a tyre recycling plant at Mooretown, Dromiskin, Co Louth. This caused the explosion and subsequent injuries. The company was before the court on foot of a prosecution by the Health and Safety Authority.

It faces three summonses alleging breaches of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act relating to a fire on the premises on May 28th, 2005.

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Judge Flann Brennan heard that an initial fire in a "grizzler" - a machine that grinds down or crumbs the rubber - had been practically extinguished by director Padric Hand and an employee, Peter McKeown.

They both used hoses to douse the fire and cables. They left the shed when the fire was extinguished - and then the fire brigade, called by a neighbour and not the company, arrived. The dust from the crumbing process is brought to a silo or large bin outside the shed and a fire officer, using a thermal-imaging camera, detected heat in the bin. According to Mr McKeown, "he said he wanted it off".

Mr Hand felt some pipes and they were cold and heard a click. "I said to myself they are opening the bin and I heard a second click." There was a flash of fire out of the side of the bin and he told another director, Fiachra Kerley, who was standing beside him, to jump. "I hit the ground and was engulfed in flames," he said. Fire officer Eugene Quinn insisted he had asked if the silo or container could be moved but "for it not to be done until we were ready". He agreed in hindsight the best thing would have been to let the fire burn itself out.

The case was adjourned.