Worker had toes amputated after standing in corrosive chemicals he believed was puddle of rainwater

The man had been offloading his tanker with a delivery at the Laporte Road site of Tronox Pigment UK Limited, in Stallingborough, Grimsby, on August 9, 2022.

During the offloading process, he was standing in what he assumed to be a puddle of rainwater, due to the fact it had been raining throughout the day and the drains were blocked.

However, the driver was actually standing in a pool of water containing caustic, a corrosive chemical substance.

The subsequent burns led to him requiring skin grafts to the underside of both feet and his smallest toe on each foot was amputated, the HSE said.

He was unable to work for 12 weeks.

A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation into this incident found Tronox Pigment UK Limited did not respond adequately to control the risk of a loss of containment after the site’s sump pumps failed to work.

Following investigation, it was found the pool of chemicals had leaked from the company’s scrubber system and secondary containment.

It ended up on the roadway after the site’s sump pumps failed to pump the chemicals away, the HSE said.

The firm’s failure to ensure the drains were kept clear also meant drivers did not recognise pools of standing liquid as a potential risk.

Tronox Pigment UK Limited of Laporte Road, Stallingborough, Grimsby, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(1) and Section 33(1)(a) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.

The company was fined £200,000 and ordered to pay £7,500 in costs at Grimsby Magistrates’ Court on September 15, 2023.

HSE inspector Angus Robbins commented: "This was a disturbing incident, given that an innocent worker was suffering severe burns without, at first, realising. Other delivery drivers visiting the area could also have been put at risk.

“The incident could so easily have been avoided by simply carrying out correct control measures and safe working practices.

“The importance of having adequate maintenance procedures and arrangements to respond to equipment failures, including assessing the risks arising from such failures, is essential.”