The Lord Advocate, Elish Angiolini QC, and the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Peter Hain MP, have announced the chair and terms of reference for the public inquiry into the plastics factory explosion and building collapse which occurred in Glasgow on 11 May 2004, in which 9 people died and 33 were injured.
Lord Gill, the Lord Justice Clerk, has been appointed chairman of the public inquiry, which will be heard under the UK Inquiries Act 2005. Roy Martin QC has also been appointed as counsel to the inquiry.
The terms of reference for the inquiry are to inquire into the circumstances leading up to the incident on 11 May 2004 at the premises occupied by the ICL group of companies, at Grovepark Mills in Maryhill, Glasgow, and to consider the safety and related issues arising from such an inquiry, including the regulation of the activities at Grovepark Mills.
The report will also make recommendations in the light of the lessons identified from the causation and circumstances leading up to the incident. It shall report as soon as practicable.
Angiolini said: “The events of the 11 May 2004 have a continuing impact on the lives of many people, on all those who were working in the factory that day, on the dozens of people who were injured, and especially on those who lost a loved one.
“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.”
The decision to hold a joint public inquiry was announced on 1 October, and Hain added: “I am pleased Lord Gill has agreed to Chair the inquiry into the tragic and terrible events in Glasgow. Now that we have a chair in place, and an agreement on the terms of reference, we can ensure that the inquiry will be focused on the events, and the families will not have to wait unduly for answers.”
The Health and Safety Executive and the police investigated the circumstances surrounding the explosion, as a result of which both ICL Plastics Ltd and ICL Tech Ltd pled guilty to various health and safety breaches and were subsequently fined £200,000 each on 28 August.
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