Chemical company fined after two employees suffer serious chemical burns

A chemical manufacturing company has been fined £3.8 million after employees at two separate sites suffered chemical burns after exposure to caustic soda. The company pleaded guilty to two charges of breaching Regulation 7(1) of the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002.

One employee, who was manually decanting the caustic soda at the time of the incident, sustained burns that required skin grafts. The second employee, who stepped in a puddle of the chemical and wearing work-issued safety boots that were insufficient, had his leg amputated below the knee.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found consistent failure across both sites in the handling, control, and assessment of hazardous substances, with multiple leaks from pipework, no system for maintenance or inspection of pipework, and systems of work that did not take spillages into account.