Transco fined £15 million

Record fine for gas company over Larkhall explosion after one of Scotland's longest jury trials

News, 26 August 2005

The gas company Transco has been fined a record £15 million for breaching health and safety laws, leading to the explosion which killed a family of four in Larkhall.

At the High Court in Edinburgh, Lord Carloway criticised the firm for its lack of remorse over the tragedy, which happened in December 1999. The explosion killed Andrew Findlay, 34, his wife Janette, 37, and their children 13-year-old Stacey and 11-year-old Daryl.

The explosion took place after gas escaped from a mains pipe into the foundations of the bungalow, forming an explosive cloud. The main was badly corroded, not in good working order and leaking. Transco also kept poor records on the state of its pipe distribution system.

The trial was one of the longest jury cases in Scottish legal history, lasting six months. The case began in September 2000 when health and safety inspectors delivered a report to prosecutors following an investigation into Transco's gas pipeline maintenance.

Lord Carloway said Transco's lack of action to replace the corroded pipes was a "plain failure to ensure public safety" and he criticised the firm's attempt to blame the explosion on a leak from within the house.

"That aspect of the defence by the company serves only to demonstrate that the corporate mind of Transco has little or no remorse for this tragedy which, they ought at least now to accept, was exclusively their own creation.

The jury convicted Transco on the charge that between 24 August 1986 and 22 December 1999, it failed to ensure members of the public were not exposed to risks to their health and safety.

A statement from the company said it would now be considering the proceedings in detail to decide whether or not to take further action.

Relatives of the Findlay family said they were pleased with the verdict.

A statement issued on their behalf said: "The verdict does not change the fact that our two families will never be the same. However, we take some small comfort from the hope this verdict brings that no other family should ever suffer as we have. We only wanted truth and justice."

Scottish Executive ministers are now considering a new law on corporate culpable homicide. The Justice Minister Cathy Jamieson has established an expert panel to look at the issue.