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Leicestershire soft drinks firm fined after contractor was exposed to ozone gas

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A soft drinks manufacturer was yesterday ordered to pay out more than £30,000 for health and safety breaches after a contractor was exposed to ozone gas.

The health of the electrician has been severely affected since the incident, which happened while he was servicing a machine at Cott Beverages Ltd's factory in Kegworth.

Loughborough Magistrates' Court heard he was a previously active man who had been left severely asthmatic and on anti-depressants and has put on three stone in weight.

Yesterday, Cott Beverages pleaded guilty to two breaches of the Health and Safety at Work Act between March and July 2010.

Andy Siddall, prosecuting on behalf of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), told how the contractor, from Yorkshire, fell ill after visiting Cott's Kegworth site on July 26, 2010.

Mr Siddall said the contractor was working on a machine in the same room as the ozone-producing equipment, which had a leak.

He felt unwell and went to rest in his car before going back in to finish the job on a separate piece of equipment which produces ultra-violet light.

Mr Siddall said the company had installed ozone-producing equipment at the factory in 2001, but then de-commissioned it seven years later.

He said that when the company recommissioned the equipment in February 2010, it encountered problems.

Mr Siddall said the company received an e-mail in March 2010 telling it there was broken connector, which meant ozone, which is used to help clean bottles before they are filled with drinks, was leaking into the plant room.

Mr Siddall said: "Quite simply Cott failed to take reasonable steps to ensure the safety of its employees and non-employees on that site."

He said doctors had concluded that the 49-year-old contractor had suffered an acute irritant asthma attack consistent with suffering exposure to ozone.

A statement from the contractor, which was read out in court, told how he had put his wedding on hold and the relationship with his two young sons had broken down.

He said: "I am not the same man, I have flashbacks about the incident and worry about the future."

Rob Elvin, defending, said Cott Beverages was a responsible firm with no previous similar convictions and an above average health and safety record.

He said the company, which employs 220 staff at its Kegworth site, had completely overhauled its health and safety system since the incident.

It was fined £20,000 with £11,565 costs.

After the hearing, HSE Inspector Richenda Dixon said: "Cott Beverages was aware of the hazards of ozone and knew there was a leak, but had done nothing to fix the problem or protect their employees or contractors from coming into contact with this gas.

"As a result of the company's failings, the contractor's quality of life has been severely affected and it is unlikely that he will be able to return to his job."

After the hearing, senior management at Cotts declined to comment.

Leicestershire soft drinks firm  fined after  contractor was exposed to ozone gas


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