A firm has been handed a fine after a colossal gas explosion, caught on CCTV, sent a worker flying through the air - and miraculously escaped unscathed. Elliot Kirk was constructing a fence on a farm in Wessington, near Alfreton when he was knocked off his feet by the force of the blast.
The Health and Safety Executive stated that the blast resulted in more than two million kilogrammes of gas being released, putting nearby homes at risk of fire and explosion. The court heard that Kirk, from Nottingham, had been installing fencing around Belper Skip Hire Limited's farm in Brackenfield Lane after being contracted by the company.
Belper Skip Hire Limited admitted to violating the Health and Safety at Work Act, resulting in a fine of £26,667 and costs of £3,173. Kirk pleaded guilty to breaching construction regulations and received an £800 fine with £3,173 in costs. "Prior to breaking ground, contractors must take suitable steps to check for the presence of underground services."
"My wife and I were coming out of John Lewis and one of my boys called and said he can’t water the garden because the entire street was blocked off.