Injured workers quizzed as chemical plant blast probes continue

FOUR workers who were injured in the fatal explosion at a Cork chemical plant were interviewed yesterday as four separate probes into the blast continued.

The four were taken to hospital after the explosion at the Corden PharmaChem plant in Little Island on Monday morning, which killed one man and left another fighting for his life.

Production process operator Liam Nodwell, 58, a married father of one from near Glanmire, died from horrific injuries. He will be buried later this week.

His co-worker, Jimmy “Bar” Sullivan, who is in his 30s, suffered severe burns.

He was placed in a medically induced coma and remained in a critical condition last night in the intensive care unit at Cork University Hospital.

It is understood both men were working close to each other when the blast occurred in production building two (PB2) at around 1.25am.

The plant will remain shut down until after Mr Nodwell’s funeral.

Inspectors from the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) and officials from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) continued their work at the plant yesterday.

The HSA inspectors interviewed the four injured workers who were in PB2 at the time of the blast. They are hoping they may be able to shed some light on what went wrong.

The explosion occurred at the beginning of a chemical mixing process in PB2. An explosion occurred outside the building in March at the end of the same process.

The cause of Monday’s blast has not yet been established and the HSA said their probe could take several weeks.

A spokesman said they are conducting a very detailed investigation into what he described as a very serious incident.

He said materials or samples may have to be sent to Britain for expert analysis.

“If we need to call in expertise, we won’t be slow in doing that,” he said.

The inspectors will take evidence from workers, examine the company’s procedures and risk management documentation, and take detailed photographs of the machinery and equipment around the blast site.

Once the HSA investigation has been completed, a file will be examined by a committee of HSA inspectors, which includes legal experts.

They will decide then on whether the file should be forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecution who in turn will decide on whether or not charges should be brought.