A specialist contractor has been prosecuted after a worker sustained life changing injuries burn injuries while attempting to refuel petrol powered equipment inside a van.

Greenseal Insulation Ltd, of 45 Wycombe Road, Birmingham, B28 9EN, has been fined £40,000 with £11,779 in costs after pleading guilty to breaching Regulation 6 of the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations (DSEAR) 2002.

Southwark Crown Court heard heard how workers were spraying insulation into a ceiling cavity of a retail outlet on 11 January 2015. The foam spraying equipment was installed in a van parked outside the premises.

When foam ceased from the spray gun, one of the operatives entered the van to refuel the equipment. A jerry can was fixed with straps within the compartment containing a compressor and generator (both petrol operated).

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One of the workers took the jerry can, opened it and petrol sprayed all over him and the compartment. The petrol immediately ignited, covering the worker in flames. Following the incident, the man spent three months in a coma and over a year in hospital.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Greenseal failed to ensure that risk from dangerous substances, namely petrol, was either eliminated or reduced so far as is reasonably practicable.

HSE said in order to minimise the risk, the company could have taken a number of reasonably practicable actions, including the use of diesel powered spray foam equipment or reducing the frequency of refuelling by installing a larger fuel tank or tanks. Refilling could then be reduced to once a day and taken place at the beginning of the day when the equipment was cool and not in operation.

In addition, HSE added the potential for spilling petrol could have been reduced by storing it away from sources of heat and confining it to smaller containers or by using a non-spilling fuel delivery nozzle.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Gabriella Dimitrov said: "This was the worker's second day on the job. He suffered horrific injuries due to the company's failure to adequately consider the risks from refuelling and implementing safer alternatives to the system of work requiring refuelling petrol powered equipment every two hours."

(LM/MH)