News In Focus
6 December 2007
Lord Gill to lead inquiry into Stockline explosion
The Lord Justice Clerk Lord Gill is to head a public inquiry into the Stockline plastics factory explosion and building collapse, which killed nine people and injured 33 others in Glasgow in 2004.
The inquiry is to be heard under the UK Inquiries Act 2005 and Roy Martin QC has been appointed as counsel to the inquiry.
ICL Plastics and ICL Tech were fined £400,000 in August after admitting health and safety breaches at the High Court in Glasgow. The court heard that the explosion on 11 May 2004 had been caused by a buildup of liquid petroleum gas, which had leaked out of old pipework.
The inquiry will look into the circumstances that led to the explosion, consider the safety issues and the regulation of activities at the site and make recommendations on the lessons to be learned.
Lord Advocate Elish Angiolini said: "This public inquiry will provide an opportunity, not only to fully air the circumstances which led up to that incident, but also to make sure that lessons are learned to help prevent another tragedy like this occurring."