Locals recall fatal Bosley wood mill explosion ten years on
Philip Grimwood had worked at the mill for more than 30 years and was working in another building nearby on the day of the explosion.He is one of a number of people who plan to remember the anniversary. "I went down the road and I couldn't believe what I was seeing," he said."I actually took the roll call and I was left there with four people's clock cards in my hand, so that wasn't good."Nothing prepares you for anything like that, it was devastating."He said he still often thinks about what happened, and knew all those who died very well.William Barks was "like a brother" he said, Dorothy Bailey was a neighbour for a number of years, while Jason Shingler and Derek Moore were "really good friends" of his.Mr Grimwood, who now works as an electrician in Mobberley, said it was "an absolute disgrace" that the site had been left crumbling."It's just been let go and the cottages across the road, they've been derelict and the big house that's derelict, and they've done nothing with the site to tidy it up or make it look better. It's a crying shame."
Temperatures reached 1,000C in the blast and it was described by rescuers as the "worst incident of its kind" in a decade.As well as those killed, a woman was taken to hospital with "serious but not life-threatening injuries", according to the fire service.Two men who were taken to hospital were reported to have been in a stable condition while another was discharged with minor injuries.In addition, Cheshire Police said 35 people were assessed at the scene, with four people treated for breathing difficulties.
The site had previously been hit by fires in 2010 and 2012.The building contained heating oil, kerosene, acetylene and asbestos. There was also a silo containing highly flammable wood flour used for making wood laminate flooring.The owners, Wood Treatment Ltd, had been served with five improvement notices by the HSE in 2013 and 2014.Four of the notices said the firm had "failed to ensure that the risk from fire or explosion" from gas tanks on site had been eliminated or reduced.Following inspections a few months later, all the improvements had been made and the health and safety notices complied with.
In June 2021, the firm's managing director George Boden was given a nine-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, over the 2015 blast.He was also fined £12,000 and the company was fined £75,000.
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