The Health and Safety Authority has been urged to issue an immediate safety alert about the opening of empty oil drums following the death of a young apprentice in a workplace explosion.
Cork City Coroner's Court was told yesterday that Donal Scanlon, 21, of Clashmore, Co Waterford, a second-year apprentice at B&C Services, based at the Foxhole Industrial Estate, in Youghal, Co Cork, suffered fatal head injuries in a blast at the plant as he used a plasma torch to cut the lid off an empty 45-gallon oil drum on 18 November 2015.
Company co-director Mark Coakley told coroner Philip Comyn that his staff would often use a plasma torch to cut the lid off empty drums, which were then used to store scrap metal.
His co-director, Ivan Bryan, said he would normally remove one of two bungs from drum lids beforehand. But in this case, two bungs were found intact on the drum after the accident.
Mr Coakley told the inquest that as he worked in the plant at around 9.25am that morning, he heard a loud explosion and turned to see Mr Scanlon lying unresponsive on the ground nearby, with a serious head injury.
He contacted the emergency services and applied a towel to the wound.
East Cork Rapid Response doctor Hugh Doran and advanced paramedic Paul Traynor arrived within minutes and helped stabilise Mr Scanlon for a medevac from Youghal GAA club to Cork University Hospital by Coast Guard helicopter Rescue 117.
Mr Scanlon was pronounced dead at CUH the next day.
Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margot Bolster said the cause of death was severe brain injury due to a penetrating head injury.
HSA inspector Frances Murphy, who investigated the accident, told the inquest that tests on the residue inside the empty barrel found a high probability of traces of kerosene, a flammable substance whose vapours could ignite at temperatures as low as 38C.
She said the plasma torch had probably ignited fumes which had built up inside the drum, triggering the fatal blast.
The jury returned a verdict of death due to an occupational accident.
Mr Bryan said while angle grinders are often used in the industry to remove drum lids, they had been using plasma torches without being aware of the risks involved.
He said they learned after the tragedy that similar explosions had occurred during the use of angle grinders to remove the lids but because the drums had been lying on their sides, the explosions had blown the drums sideways.
In Mr Scanlon's case, he had been standing directly over an upright drum.
Ms Murphy said B&C Services cooperated fully with the HSA and garda investigation and subsequently pleaded guilty to a charge of failing to provide a safe and well-organised system of work.
The company was fined €10,000 at Cork Circuit Criminal Court.
She said the HSA would recommend against such oil drum cutting procedures and that in the absence of guidelines in Ireland, she said drums should be flushed or vented before any cutting procedure.
The jury advised the HSA to issue an immediate safety alert about the procedure and asked the agency to review UK safety guidelines with the possibility of drafting new guidelines or protocols here for the removal of oil drum tops.
Both Mr Coakley and Mr Bryan described Mr Scanlon as a dedicated, conscientious and diligent worker who was popular with staff and customers.
"I couldn't talk highly enough about him," Mr Bryan said.
Mr Comyn and the company directors both extended their sympathies to Mr Scanlon's family.
