Industrial Health and Safety: Sonae (UK)

Bob Spink
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many enforcement notices were issued by the Health and Safety Executive to Sonae (UK) Ltd. in each of the last four years; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Bellingham
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many enforcement notices were issued by the Health and Safety Executive to Sonae (UK) Ltd. in each of the last four years; and if he will make a statement.

Mrs. McGuire
There have been no enforcement notices issued by the Health and Safety Executive in the last four years against Sonae (UK) Ltd. at the Knowsley site.

Bob Spink
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the cause of the incident at the Sonae factory in Kirkby in February 2007.

Mr. Bellingham
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the cause of the incident at the Sonae factory in Kirkby in February 2007.

Mrs. McGuire
The Health and Safety Executive has undertaken a thorough investigation of the fire at Sonae (UK) Ltd. on 20 February 2007 and has determined that this fire was caused by the catastrophic failure of either a mechanical seal or an impeller on pump number two in the thermal oil manifold room. This resulted in hot oil being discharged into the manifold room and the oil was ignited when it came into contact with a hot surface, either the handle on one of the pump valves or the impeller casing. Sonae's fire precautions were effective in limiting the consequences of the fire, despite the existence of a previously unknown void between the wall of the manifold room and the external cladding. The damage to the plant control room resulted from smoke and hot gases breaching this void, although such damage was limited to plant and equipment. There was no loss of life or injury.

Bob Spink
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations reports were made by Sonae (UK) Ltd. in each of the last four years; and if he will make a statement;

(2) how many lost time accidents were reported by Sonae (UK) Ltd. in each of the last four years; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Bellingham
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many incidents reported under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 were made by Sonae (UK) Ltd. in each of the last four years; and if he will make a statement;

(2) how many lost time accidents were reported by Sonae (UK) Ltd. in each of the last four years; and if he will make a statement.

Mrs. McGuire
There have been 27 reports made by Sonae (UK) Ltd. in the last four years under the requirements of the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) 1995. The distribution of these reports are detailed in the following table.

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|       |Deaths|Major injury|Over 3 day accidents|Dangerous occurrences|Total|
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|2003-04|0     |4           |5                   |1                    |10   |
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|2004-05|0     |2           |3                   |0                    |5    |
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|2005-06|0     |2           |1                   |0                    |3    |
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|2006-07|0     |0           |8                   |1                    |9    |
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|Total  |0     |8           |17                  |2                    |27   |
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There is no requirement to report lost time accidents to the Health and Safety Executive, other than those required to be reported under RIDDOR.