UKs largest wood recycling plant reopens

The UK's largest wood recycling operation, Sonae UK's chipboard factory in Knowsley on Merseyside, has reopened after an incident at the site last month in which two men died.

The facility was closed following the incident on December 7, when Thomas Elmer, 27 and James Bibby, 25, were reportedly injured after becoming caught up in machinery. The men were later declared dead at the scene.

The site has the capacity to take in over 300,000 tonnes-a-year of recycled woodchip and, as a result, the prolonged closure created a surplus of waste wood in the region, prompting wood recyclers to have to find alternative outlets for material.

However, Sonae UK's human resources manager, John Huckstepp, this week (January 17) told letsrecycle.com that the facility was now “back up and running”.

“It has been back up and running for about a couple of weeks,” he explained, “but it's not easy to say exactly when it was back up and running. We did it in stages.”

Mr Huckstepp added that he was unable to provide any further comment due to the sensitivity of the incident.

Investigations

A joint investigation by Merseyside Police and the Health and Safety Executive was launched in the wake of the incident, and a spokesman for the HSE confirmed that this was ongoing.

The investigation is being led by the Police, and a spokeswoman for the service yesterday (January 18) told letsrecycle.com: “We're putting a case file together for the Crown Prosecution Service, they'll then look to see if there are any criminal issues that needs to be addressed. If it's just procedural it will go to the HSE.”

Wood panels

The Sonae Knowsley operation uses around 98% recycled wood for the manufacture of wood-based panels for the construction and furniture industries.

It was previously closed temporarily in March 2007 after a fire, prompting both Knowsley council and local MP, George Howarth, to raise the concerns over the facility's health and safety record (see letsrecycle.com story).

Mr Howarth also commented in the wake of last month's incident, expressing his condolences and raising the situation in a question to the Prime Minister David Cameron in the House of Commons on December 9.

He called on Mr Cameron to agree that, when the police and investigations were complete “whatever action that is necessary will be taken”.

In response, Mr Cameron also expressed his regret over the “dreadful accident” and said: “It is important that we have procedures in place for the HSE and others to investigate these issues and, as he says, they should follow the evidence wherever it leads.”