Waste firm charged over fatal blast

A WASTE treatment company in South Yorkshire is to be charged with corporate manslaughter following the death of one of its employees.
By The Newsroom
Published 2nd Oct 2013, 00:08 BST

Father-of-three Michael Whinfrey, 42, was killed in January 2011 after a blast at Rotherham-based Sterecycle.

Another worker was seriously injured as a result of the explosion at the recycling plant, in Templeborough.

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Yesterday, Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) specialist prosecutor Jane Wragg said: “I have carefully reviewed the evidence gathered by South Yorkshire Police and the Health and Safety Executive during their investigation into the tragic death of Michael Whinfrey.

“I have concluded that Sterecycle (Rotherham) Limited should be charged with an offence of corporate manslaughter.”

Ms Wragg said she had also authorised charges under section 7 of the Health and Safety at Work Act against operations manager Steven Weaver, operations director Paul Greenwell and maintenance manager Kevin Goss, who faces a further charge of perverting the course of justice.

The CPS said that the first hearing in the case would take place at Rotherham Magistrates’ Court on Monday, October 14.

Bosses at Sterecycle, which treated household ‘black bag’ waste in a pressurised process known as autoclaving, announced in September last year that the company had gone into administration.

Related topics:South YorkshireSouth Yorkshire PoliceRotherham