A Scottish company has been fined following an incident which resulted in two workers being overcome by toxic fumes.
Sacone Environmental Ltd of Brechin has been fined £12,000 and at Forfar sheriff court after the July 2007 accident, which involved one man being taken to intensive care.
It occurred at the firm's plant when two employees were delivering animal waste from a nearby abattoir to a pit in preparation for incineration.
They were overcome by hydrogen sulphide and lay unconscious in the waste intake area of the plant until they were rescued and taken to hospital.
The incident, which highlights the need for liability insurance, has been criticised by the Health and Safety Executive.
"This accident was entirely foreseeable and preventable. It was foreseeable that hydrogen sulphide could accumulate in this plant," said John Radcliffe, an investigating inspector with the watchdog.
In related news, a man was recently killed following a gas canister explosion at a company premises in Buckinghamshire, which illustrates the need for public liability insurance.