A KIDDERMINSTER carpet company has been fined after a large pressure vessel exploded and propelled the quarter-tonne lid into the air.

The incident occurred at Brintons Carpets’ site in Halesfield, Telford, but The Health and Safety Executive (HSE), which carried out the investigation, said the dangerous incident could have been prevented.

The Kidderminster firm and surrey-based Allianz Engineering Inspection Services, who were contracted to carry out periodic thorough examinations of dye vessels, were prosecuted yesterday at Telford Magistrates’ Court.

Brintons Carpets, of Stourport Road, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 12 of The Pressures Systems Safety Regulations 2000, and was fined £10,000 and ordered to pay costs of £1,174.

Allianz Inspection Services pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 9(2) of The Pressures Systems Safety Regulations 2000, was fined £13,000 and ordered to pay £1,111 of costs.

During the trial, magistrates heard that each of the company’s four stock dye vessels, used for dyeing and processing carpet fibres, were pressurised while in use.

During a production run, one of the vessels, which are described as industrial pressure cookers, exploded.

The 250kg lid was torn off its locking mechanism and hit the roof of the factory six metres above.

The force of the collision left a dent in one of the factory roof girders, while a worker was standing just a few feet from where the lid landed.

A failure of the vessel’s regulator and pressure relief valve was found to have caused the explosion.

HSE found Brintons Carpets had not ensured sufficient maintenance was carried out or that the periodic examinations had not been completed for three years.

They also found that, although Allianz Engineering Services had carried out examinations on other pressure equipment on site, the four stock dye vats had been overlooked.

Lyn Mizen, HSE inspector, said: “If a piece of pressure equipment fails and bursts violently apart, the results can be devastating to people in the vicinity.

“It was a matter of pure luck that no one was seriously injured in this incident."

A spokesman from Brintons Carpets said: “Brintons is very disappointed by the HSE’s decision to prosecute this case, which arose to due to the negligence of one of our suppliers.

“But in order to ensure a speedy resolution to the proceedings, Brintons took a commercial decision to accept the charges.

“Following the incident, the company, which has a very good safety history, has taken additional extensive measures to ensure to mitigate the occurrence of a similar event in the future.”