HSE hits Carlsberg with Improvement Notice
28th June 2017
UK: Carlsberg’s Northampton brewery, scene of the fatal ammonia refrigeration leak in November last year, has been issued with an Improvement Notice by the HSE.
The leak, which resulted in the death of 45-year-old David Chandler and the hospitalisation of 11 brewery workers, nine firefighters and two police officers, is still under investigation by Northamptonshire Police.
The Improvement Notice issued against Carlsberg Supply Company UK Ltd relates to the company not having made “a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks of health and safety of persons from the use of dangerous refrigerant gases namely Anhydrous Ammonia”.
The Improvement Notice relates to breaches of the Health and Safety At Work Act 1974/2/1, Health and Safety At Work Act 1974/3/1, the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regs 2002/5/1 and the Management of Health & Safety at Work Regulations 1999/3/1.
A spokesperson for HSE confirmed that the issuance of the Notice was connected to the incident in November but said any further comment would be inappropriate while the investigation was ongoing.
Carlsberg UK also declined to comment about the Improvement Notice in view of the ongoing investigation, but did say: “The safety of our employees and visitors to our sites is of the utmost importance to us. Ever since the incident, we have been co-operating fully with the Health and Safety Executive and we await the result of their investigation. If there are any further lessons to be learned from this tragic incident, we will not hesitate to act on them.”
Related stories:
Fridge plant suspect in fatal ammonia leak – 10 November 2016
UK: Investigators have so far refused to confirm or deny whether the refrigeration system was the source of yesterday’s fatal ammonia leak at the Carlsberg brewery in Northampton. Read more…
Ammonia leak victim named – 18 November 2016
UK: The man, who died following last week’s ammonia leak at Carlsberg’s Northampton brewery, has been named as 45-year-old David Chandler from Bridgnorth. Read more…
