Blair Witch Project, Corduroy and Battle Droids in The Event
University_Runished by court over P-Otentially fatal ex losion in ENV laboratory_ By JAMES GOFFIN, NEWS EDITOR UEA HAS been hit with a ÂŁ23,500 bill after 1t pleaded guilty to flve'breaches of safety law. The dramatic legal hands-up came after a potentially fatal explosion in one of the University's science labs. Researchers in the School of Environmental Science failed to keep proper records on highly pressurised containers they were using as part of an air monitoring scheme, overfilling them dangerously. Their errors only came to light when one of the vessels exploded inside a lab earlier this year, forcing UEA to call in the Health and Safety Executive, who launched the prosecution.
Damage The explosion, which blasted the doors off the locker in which the container was being kept and caused substantial damage to the laboratory, took place just yards away from an area where students are taught. The court were told how recently qualified research postgraduate Henry Mclntyre and research associate Or
Jonathan Baker failed to follow safety rules . HSE Inspector, Eddie Scoggins, explained, "They double filled a vessel, and didn't use pressure relief, which they should have done." "They really didn't appreciate what they were doing . They were using vessels that the manufacturers specify can stand up to 401bs per square inch at over 2501bs per square inch." lt also emerged that the pair had driven across Norwich with the vessel in the back of a Land Rover, exposing hundreds of members to the public to the risk of explosion.
Potential "There is every chance that vessel contained 1OOOibs per square inch when it went bang. If you imagine what might have happened if you were standing next
to a lorry tyre when it went bang at 501bs, it's clear the potential for serious injury was there," explained Mr Scoggins.
Safety
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Speaking after the UEA Director of Communications Alan Preece insisted that the University was taking the prosecution seriously, and pointed to their g~od campus safety record. 'We are not complacent and we have taken steps to ensure than 'an incident of this sort cannot happen in the future," he said. "The low level of the fine reflected our excellent health and safety record over more than 30 years," added Mr Preece. But according to the Health and Continued on page 2 ~._...., _ __