Hundreds Claim Following Woodchip Factory Fires

Monday 30 April 2012

Hundreds of people living in Knowsley, Merseyside, have approached law firm GT LAW claiming they’ve suffered a range of illnesses after fires at a woodchip factory in Kirkby.

The latest blaze at Sonae UK in January broke out just weeks after the factory fully reopened following a devastating fire in June which took firefighters eight days to extinguish.

Local MP George Howarth has called for the troubled factory to be closed down after a number of serious incidents during the past ten years which have been investigated by the Health and Safety Executive. This includes the deaths of two workers dragged into machinery in December 2010 and the death of a third worker in August last year who was crushed.

Now people living and working nearby say the fumes from fires at the factory are causing respiratory problems although no link has ever been proven.

GT LAW director Gordon Tucker said:

"We’ve been approached by hundreds of local people and we are looking into whether they may have public liability claims. Some of our own staff have also suffered with various illnesses and as a result we are moving the company from the borough to Liverpool city centre. It’s our duty to protect them. There are some really tragic stories right across the board and we are currently seeking guidance from both the Health and Safety Executive and independent experts.”