THE HEALTH and Safety Authority and An Garda Síochána have launched separate investigations into an explosion at a pharmaceutical plant in Cork which claimed the life of one man and left another man fighting for his life in hospital.
The explosion at the Corden Pharma Chem plant at Little Island outside Cork city happened at about 1.25am yesterday and resulted in the death of plant operative Liam Nodwell (58), a father of one child, from Glanmire on the outskirts of Cork city.
The explosion happened in production block 2 on the 20-acre site where Mr Nodwell and a colleague were working and both were rushed to Cork University Hospital (CUH) along with four other colleagues who were on night duty at the time.
Mr Nodwell died shortly after being admitted while a second man was last night in a critical condition in hospital. A third man was described as being stable with the other staff members all being discharged after treatment in the emergency department.
Five units of Cork city fire service and one unit from Cobh attended at the scene of the explosion in one of the process reactor vessels with over 30 personnel equipped with breathing apparatus and protective suits involved in the operation.
Third officer Edward Buckley said there were no flames at the scene but officers spent about four hours cooling down the reactor vessel and three fire officers were later taken to CUH as a precaution after complaining of nausea.
Corden Pharma Chem managing director Paudie Burke said the company had launched its own internal investigation into what had caused the explosion before extending his sympathies to the family of the late Mr Nodwell who had worked at the plant for 20 years.
“I would like to take this opportunity to extend our deepest condolences to Liam’s wife, Sheila, and his son, Brian – our thoughts and prayers are with them at this difficult time,” said Mr Burke before adding that they were also thinking of their injured colleagues at CUH.
Yesterday’s explosion is the third incident at the plant in two months and follows incidents on March 2nd and March 7th when there was a spillage of waste at the rear of the production block after over-pressurisation of a vessel while treating aqueous waste.
The HSA confirmed that it had launched an investigation into yesterday’s accident and a team of three inspectors were awaiting clearance from the fire service that it was safe to begin an inspection.
The HSA also confirmed that it had taken enforcement action following the March 2nd and March 7th incidents and had served prohibition notices on the company, ordering it to cease the two processes involved in the incidents until its investigations are complete.
A company spokesman confirmed that it had complied with both prohibition orders and said yesterday’s accident occurred in a different part of the site.
Meanwhile, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) confirmed that it had been notified of the incident by Corden at 2.45am yesterday and its staff had visited the site and their preliminary assessment was that while there was a release to the atmosphere, there is no ongoing risk of environmental pollution.
The incidents in March related to health and safety issues with neither involving significant environmental emissions so the agency does not foresee any impact on the current IPPC licence which was issued on February 19th, said an EPA spokeswoman.
The company has been operating at Little Island since 1974.