Health and safety inspector says practices at Peterborough firework factory were unsafe before fatal explosion

Health and safety inspectors said practices at a Peterborough firework factory were not safe in the lead up to an explosion that killed a city father.

Brendan Ledgister was working at the Le Maitre factory in Fourth Drove when the incident happened on October 2 2018.

Two explosions happened in the room he was mixing chemicals in, causing fatal injuries.

An inquest into the 24-year-old’s death is being held at Peterborough Town Hall.

Today the inquest heard from Health and Safety inspector Stuart Charles.

The hearing has heard Brendan was working on a ‘flash mix’ when the explosion happened.

Mr Charles said there had been no sensitivity testing carried out on the mix before Brendan had started work.

The inquest has heard workers at the factory say that before the explosion, ball bearings were often used in the mixing process.

However, Mr Charles said this was dangerous to do, and was not part of a risk assessment.

During the evidence, the inquest has heard some hand mixing of chemicals took place – however, it was said workers should be outside the room while mixing took place.

Issues with the electro-static flooring were also raised.

Mr Charles said: “The installation of the flooring did not meet the appropriate standard, there had not been appropriate training, and the equipment used was not suitable for the testing.

"The practice of conducting testing while explosives and other people were in the room should not happen.”

The inquest has also been told of issues with humidity – with workers saying they took humidity ratings three times a day, but action was not taken when levels fell below the 40 per cent threshold – a critical level.

Mr Charles said: “There were over 300 incidents across the production buildings over a 13 month period when levels fell below 40 per cent.

"In room H, the day before the explosion, the level was as low as 23 per cent.”

When asked if there was any evidence of action being taken when levels fell below 40 per cent, Mr Charles said he did not find any evidence that had happened.

The inquest previously heard how workers described seeing a fireball when the explosion happened, with people rushing to try and help Brendan following the blast.

However, he died at hospital in the early hours of the following morning. A consultant plastic surgeon described how Brendan had suffered severe burns ‘from his head to his toes.’

Pyrotechnics expert Dr Stuart Myatt previously told the inquest that in his opinion, the explosion was likely to have started either by an impact involving a ball bearing and chemicals, an impact with a scoop and chemicals, or a static spark.

Also during the inquest, Brendan’s father, Gladstone, and his partner, Chelsey Berriman, who had recently given birth to Brendan’s daughter when the accident happened, paid tribute to him, with Gladstone saying he was proud to have Brendan as a son.

The inquest is set to conclude today (August 2), with coroner Keith Morton KC set to deliver his conclusion at the end of the two day hearing.