Explosion blinding a worker results in sentencing for business partners

BUSINESS partners from Northallerton have been sentenced by a court after a worker was blinded in one eye and lost his left thumb and forefinger in an explosion.

The incident happened in November 2013, when the partners were transferring oxygen between pressurised cylinders, using a makeshift hose.

The hose was not designer for the high risk procedure, and debris built up causing it to overheat and ignite the oxygen.

One 48 year-old worker was caught in the blast in which he suffered his life-changing injuries.

Samuel Trevor Mason and Shaun Christopher Mason, both of Blackhorse Lane Swainby, Northallerton both pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and were fined £4000 each and ordered to pay costs of £1171 and £1115 each.

HSE Inspector Geoff Fletcher said: “This was an accident that should never have happened. Trevor and Shaun Mason admitted to developing their own practice rather than following the manufacturer’s guidelines.
“Unfortunately their employee has to live with the permanent consequences of their failure to consider the risks of transferring oxygen with in house manufactured components”