Families criticise blast fines

Families said they were devastated at the penalty imposed on the operators of the Stockline plastics factory in Glasgow following the blast which killed nine people and injured 33.

The fine was handed down to ICL Plastics and ICL Tech at the city's High Court after a two-day hearing. A £1 million investigation found that the blast was caused by a corroded pipe that would have cost £405 to replace.

Union leaders have demanded a full public inquiry into the case and tougher legislation.

The judge, Lord Brodie, said that in setting the fine he was taking account of the ability of the two firms to stay in business and provide work.

But one of the relatives, Angela Rowlinson, 38, who lost her sister Tracey McErlane, 27, from Glasgow, in the tragedy, said: "We are devastated, absolutely devastated. I just feel as if they've got off lightly. I don't think it is a deterrent to any other company."

Kirsteen Murray, 31, who lost her brother Kenneth Murray, 45, from Paisley, said: "I was pretty deflated to hear the fine, though it was expected. That was all the judge could do as it was a small fine. But if the judge had fined them millions, it would have made no difference to my family."

The two firms were fined after admitting four Health and Safety at Work Act charges over the blast in Glasgow on May 11 2004.

An inquiry is to be held into the disaster and Scotland's most senior law officer, the Lord Advocate Elish Angiolini, will decide what form this should take before the end of September. She will decide whether it should be a fatal accident inquiry or some other form of inquiry. The firms said they would welcome any inquiry into the accident.

Imposing the fines, the judge said the sums were not meant to equate to the lives lost or injuries and suffering caused. "These are not things that are ca pable of being expressed in terms of sums of money," said the judge.