Owner fined £2,000 after taxi rank blast
A TAXI firm owner whose wife and another employee were killed in a horrific Christmas Eve explosion has been fined after admitting health and safety breaches.
Tony Barker, 46, of Washdyke Lane, Immingham, was fined £2,000 after failing to ensure employees were not exposed to risks at Fred's Taxis, Pelham Road, Immingham.
His wife Sue, 43, and her colleague Ann Mawer, from South Killingholme, both perished in the blaze which was sparked when petrol stored inside the office was ignited.
The charges relate to using and storing petrol inside the premises, in an office where there were sources of ignition.
Immingham Service Station Ltd, the company which ran a next-door petrol station and supplied Barker's fuel, was fined £6,000 at yesterday's Grimsby Crown Court hearing.
The company admitted contravening a licence condition by dispensing petrol in an unapproved container. Charges against company director Martin Cook, 66, were withdrawn.
Neil Cameron, prosecuting for North East Lincolnshire Council, said Barker bought £25 worth of petrol from garage assistant and mechanic Neil Hewitt to tide him over Christmas.
Mr Hewitt used an old plastic can to put in just under 25 litres of petrol, which Barker carried in to his taxi office. The container "cracked like an egg", petrol leaked out and there was a massive explosion.
Under the regulations, there should not have been more than five litres of petrol in the container.
There was a gas heater in the office and other electrical appliances. The petrol was ignited and exploded, killing the two women, who died after inhaling fumes and could not escape in time.
"The heat and power of the flames was unbelievable," said Mr Cameron.
Barker escaped from the office but his clothes were on fire and he could hear screaming from inside the office.
Gordon Stables, mitigating, said: "He lost his wife in this dreadful incident and there was also the death of Ann Mawer, a friend of his for some 20-plus years and an employee of at least five years. It's horrible to think of and imagine.
"He has flashbacks and nightmares," said Mr Stables.
"There isn't a day that goes by that he doesn't recall these incidents. For a long time, he cried nightly.
"He is deeply, deeply sorry for what happened and for what he did."
In addition to the fines, Barker was ordered to pay £400 costs and the company £1,500 costs. Both must pay a Government-imposed £15 victims' surcharge.
Judge David Tremberg said the case proved what a "highly dangerous substance petrol was" and the absolute necessity of storing, dispensing and handling it with scrupulous care.
It was a "critical lesson" to learn. Barker's behaviour had been "extremely dangerous" and he "simply did not take on board the degree of risk he was running", said Judge Tremberg.
source:
http://www.thisisscunthorpe.co.uk/news/
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