Scottish company fined £100k after 23-year-old worker left with permanent burn scars

Dundas Chemical Company (Mosspark) Limited, of Mosspark, Dumfries, was fined at Hamilton Sheriff Court on Monday after pleading guilty to breaching health and safety legislation.

The man was burnt across his back and other parts of his body in 2019 after the steam hose he was using to clean the tank spun round and began to flow directly at him.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE), Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety, said the incident, which left the 23-year-old with permanent scarring, was the result of a “catalogue of failures” and had been avoidable.

The man had been working for the company, which operates a plant that processes animal waste and food industry waste, at its site at Omoa Works in Newarthill for around two years when he was instructed to clean a process water tank, along with the vickery and the walls and floors in the area. The company provided pressure washers as well as a steam hose for cleaning down difficult areas.

After starting the task with a colleague, the man was left to finish the cleaning by himself with the aid of a small cherry picker.

He attached the steam hose to its basket. But once it had been raised to the required height, the steam hose and nozzle suddenly spun round and steam began flowing into the cherry picker basket back at him.

He quickly turned his back to prevent his face being burned, while manipulating the nozzle of the hose away from him and lowering the basket of the cherry picker.

He then ran through to one of the deluge showers to cool his burns, before being taken to hospital for treatment.

The following HSE investigation found the steam hose nozzle, which did not have a trigger to allow the operator to start or stop the flow, was unsafe. It also found the mixing valve and set-up for supplying hot water for cleaning purposes was not properly maintained. Supervisors at the site were also found to have taken no action despite being aware the mixing valve was passing steam.

Inspectors said staff in the maintenance and engineering team had had no understanding of the risks involved when setting up such a washdown system and how to mitigate them. They said the company provided information to HSE there were no records associated with the maintenance of the valve, hose or nozzle.

HSE inspector Ashley Fallis said: “Had a safe system of work been in place, then this incident would not have happened. The lack of appropriate risk assessment, method statements, training and supervision for both the maintenance team who installed the valve, and the operators tasked with using the system, led to a situation where those involved were unaware of risks or simple control measures.

“This catalogue of failures resulted in a young man sustaining very serious burns, to which he still bears the scars to this day. We will not hesitate to take action against companies that fail to protect their employees.”

Dundas Chemical Company (Mosspark) Ltd has been contacted for comment.