A Cheshire company has been fined following the deaths of two employees from asphyxiation cause by inhaling gas.
Bodycote HIP Ltd of Macclesfield, Cheshire, was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and ordered to pay almost £750,000 at Worcester Crown Court as a result of an incident in June 2004.
It occurred at the company's manufacturing plant in Hereford, when two employees were found close to a concrete-lined pit where argon gas had leaked from a pressure vessel.
Subsequent investigations found that the pit's oxygen alarm system was not switched on and the ventilation device was not running, illustrating the need for plumbers liability insurance.
Luke Messenger, an inspector for the HSE, commented: "The company failed to undertake a proper risk assessment for entry into the confined space. They had not properly trained employees."
The HSE recently warned Scottish workers about the dangers of operating in confined spaces following an incident in which two men died at a workplace in Oban, which highlights the need for employers liability insurance.