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Workmates saved pair in gassing
TWO men gassed at a blood and feather processing plant had to be given the kiss of life by horrified workmates.
The pair were working 25ft up in a cherry picker when a blockage in a pressurised waste pipe suddenly erupted in their faces.
They were overcome by a rush of deadly hydrogen sulphide and carbon dioxide gas and collapsed.
Neither man responded to calls and frantic colleagues at the JG Pears plant in Newark rushed to fetch and extend a second cherry picker, Nottingham Crown Court heard.
A rescuer then jumped across to the cradle holding the stricken men and lowered it to the ground.
Neither of the victims, who were covered in foul waste, were breathing or had a pulse, and workers had to perform life-saving mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.
The court heard three men were taken to hospital after the incident in February 2006. One of the gassing victims was on a ventilator for four days.
JG Pears, which has its headquarters in Penistone, was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive after an investigation revealed staff were not provided with safe systems of work and the company had failed to undertake sufficient risk assessments.
The firm admitted breaching health and safety laws and was fined 100,000 and ordered to pay 38,052.44 costs.
HSE Inspector Francine Clarke said the men would have died but for the actions of their quick-thinking colleagues.
The most badly affected man was subsequently diagnosed with asthma, left the company and was paid 10,000 in compensation. The others returned to work.
The plant cooks blood and feathers under pressure to produce fertiliser.
JG Pears operations director Alistair Collins said: "Unfortunately, no-one appreciated the circumstances that led to the accident, which was ostensibly due to a design fault, as recognised by the judge."
Plant and systems had been modified and training improved, he added.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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