Public Inquiry Launched Into Stockline Disaster

A public inquiry into a tragic factory blast which killed nine people is beginning.

The premises, operated by ICL Plastics Ltd, collapsed on 11 May, 2004 followng the escape of liquefied petroleum gas from old pipework.

Thirty-three people were also injured in the blast and had to be pulled from the rubble by rescue crews.

Last August ICL Plastics and ICL Tech were fined £400,000 at the High Court in Glasgow after admitting health and safety breaches.

The inquiry, to be held in the Maryhill Community Hall, will be chaired by senior Scottish judge Lord Gill.

It is expected that that the inquiry, which will look into the facts and provide recommendations, will last for 12 weeks.

Lord Gill told BBC Scotland that the inquiry would allow for a "determined pursuit of the truth".


"It's not at all clear that everything came out at the prosecution and there's a very good reason for that."

Lord Gill added that "all prosecution was concerned with" were the "facts relating to the commission of those offences".

Sheena O'Brien, who was badly injured in the explosion and lost her father said in a statement to be used in the case that she "wanted to know what happened that day" and be able to "obtain closure" for herself, her colleagues and family.

However, survivor Linda Kinnon has said holding the inquiry so close to the site was "insensitive".

"I don't know what people will get from this, going back through the whole accident, the trauma and everything again," she said.

The first phase of the inquiry is expected to last more than three weeks.

Scotland senior law officer, Lord Advocate Elish Angiolini has said "it was hoped the inquiry would prevent another tragedy like Stockline occurring".

Last year, Scottish First Minister, Alex Salmond said that there was "widespread support" for the "fullest possible" inquiry into the Stockline factory blast.

Advocate Ian Buist Carmichael, a leading authority on public inquires, has said that the hearing is "necessary" as it would "have a wider scope than a standard fatal accident inquiry".

"The one thing that does come out of this business is should a factory of this kind be situated in a residential area?" he said.

It was uncovered in an earlier hearing in Glasgow that it would have cost just £405 to replace the pipe which corroded and caused the blast.

(DS)