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Pipeline transportation company fined £2.3 million for safety breaches

By Kris Paterson in UK Business News, posted April 8, 2023

Exolum Pipeline System Ltd, formerly known as CLH Pipeline System (CLH-PS) Ltd, has been fined £2.3 million and ordered to pay £157,431 in costs after its employees were exposed to severe risk while working on a leaking pipeline containing petrol under pressure.

Workers were excavating a suspected pipeline leak in North Lincolnshire when they were exposed to a potentially explosive cloud of petrol due to an unknown defect in a previous repair.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found Exolum Pipeline System Ltd had failed to correctly identify and control the risks associated with carrying out a pipeline repair.

The workers were excavating a suspected pipeline in woodland near the town of Holme, in March 2018.

They were working in an area where a previous repair had taken place.

There was a massive risk to the workers from doing the operation.

An unknown defect on the previous repair of the pipeline, which contained petrol under high pressure, had the potential to orm a flammable cloud extending over several metres from the work area, causing those in the immediate vicinity to potentially be covered in a heavy spray of petrol and engulfed in petrol vapour.

The HSE said the workers was a "very high risk of death of serious injury" if the could had been ignited.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) into the incident found that Exolum Pipeline System Ltd failed to properly identify and control the risks associated with carrying out a pipeline repair.

Exolum Pipeline System Ltd, of King William Street, London, was found guilty of an offence contrary to Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and an offence contrary to Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 following a trial at Grimsby Crown Court. The company was fined £2.3million and ordered to pay £157,431 in costs at Grimsby Crown Court on 24 March 2023.

HSE inspector Mark Leadbetter said: “This incident had the potential to cause serious injury or death to multiple casualties and could so easily have been avoided by simply carrying out correct control measures and safe working practices.

“Companies should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standards.