Victim has nightmares of explosion at factory

A Corden Pharmachem employee who was seriously injured in a chemical explosion at the plant in Cork almost five years ago has begun an action for compensation at the High Court.

James O’Sullivan, aged 32, of Heather View, Glanmire, Co Cork, yesterday described how he experienced flashbacks and nightmares about the night of the explosion, when his colleague, Liam Nodwell, lost his life.

The plaintiff’s senior counsel, John O’Mahony, said Mr O’Sullivan suffered extensive injuries as a result of burns and exposure to toxic fumes in the explosion after a runaway reaction at the plant in Little Island on Apr 28, 2008.

“It was a most horrendous explosion. It has scorched into his psyche and it will remain scorched in there for the rest of his days,” said Dr O’Mahony.

A second senior counsel, James O’Mahony, brought the plaintiff through his direct evidence to Mr Justice Roderick Murphy.

Mr O’Sullivan said his late colleague, Mr Nodwell, told him that night that he was not sure if he had added acetone to the two chemicals — PNO and DECC — and these then began to react together, creating a chemical reaction. He said the temperature was rising all the time. At one stage he saw it rise to 138C and he put an emergency cooling agent in.

“In the number of seconds I was at the computer in the control room, it had heated another five degrees. It was just rising and rising. I knew it was a runaway reaction,” said Mr O’Sullivan.

“I noticed the floor was rumbling and there was an awful hissing sound. I could feel the floor shaking. My concern was to shut the butterfly valve and run. I shut the butterfly valve and told him [Mr Nodwell] to run.

“I got to the nearest double doors and there was a massive bang. I did not get to the door. I recall being out on a corridor. I could see outside the building. I was very close to being outside the building. The roller door was blown off. I was blown through the [double] door, blown 20ft at least.

“It was pitch dark. The alarms were going off. There was a thick yellow plume with an unbelievable smell. It seemed to be coming out over the door. I was on the floor. The fumes were coming down on top of me. I was trying to hold my breath as best I could.

“I crawled along the floor by the wall and came across the double door to the elevator. The plume was much less. I was able to get to my feet outside. I was gasping for breath. At that stage I knew I had to get out of the building.”

The incident happened on a floor 60ft above the factory’s ground floor. Mr O’Sullivan said his supervisor ran up the stairs, where Mr O’Sullivan told him that, as far as he knew, Mr Nodwell was on the floor where the vessel explosion occurred.

Mr O’Sullivan’s clothes were blown apart and there was blood dropping to the floor. He was told to get into the cold shower but he felt like the water was burning him. “Smoke was coming off my body,” he said. “I tried to get under the shower again. I could not. I collapsed in the shower. At that stage, I did not think I was going to make it.”

Mr O’Sullivan recalled being removed by ambulance but had no further recollection of the night. He went into a coma and woke up later in intensive care.

The case continues at the High Court sitting in Cork.

The civil action is taken against Corden Pharma Ltd trading as Corden Pharmachem, with a registered office at 90 South Mall, Cork City.