BBC News
Published
image captionDerek William Barks, Derek Moore, Jason Shingler and Dorothy Bailey died in the explosion in 2015
The devastation in the wake of a fatal factory explosion was like something out of the movies , a court has heard.
Derek Moore, Dorothy Bailey, Jason Shingler and Derek William Barks were killed in the blast at Wood Flour Mills in Bosley, Cheshire, in July 2015.
The cause of the explosion is unknown but prosecutors said safety concerns were ignored in the interest of profit.
A firm and its director are standing trial at Chester Crown Court over the deaths and deny manslaughter charges.
16:30 Dust creates an explosive atmosphere
Mr Badenoch QC added: This case is concerned with the deaths of four individuals caused by a dust explosion. Wood Treatment Limited and George Boden were told, in terms, that dust creates an explosive atmosphere.
16:29
Health and Safety Report
In an email (February 3, 2013) headed ‘Health and Safety Report’ from Sheila Smith to George Boden the question of explosive atmosphere is specifically addressed, together with repeated references to ‘considerable amounts of dust’ and ‘unacceptable dust issues.
The email was addressed to George Boden:
‘You are leaving yourself open to a serious prosecution as besides breaching COSHH with regards to the condition of the LEV as a result you will also be exposing your employees to high levels of dust beyond the maximum allowed as some of our results to date on dust monitoring are showing.
By Eleanor Barlow, PA
From left, Wood Flour Mill owner George Boden, company manager Philip Smith and company manager Peter Shingler. Pictures: Press Association. A JURY has been sworn in for the trial of a Cheshire mill owner charged with the manslaughter of four employees who died in an explosion. Director of Wood Treatment Limited George Boden, 64, appeared at the Nightingale court at Chester Town Hall on Wednesday along with managers Philip Smith, 58, and Peter Shingler, 56, who are both charged with a health and safety offence. The three men, as well as Wood Treatment Limited, are charged in relation to the explosion at the mill in Bosley, Cheshire, on July 17, 2015, which killed Dorothy Bailey, 62, Derek Barks (known as William), 51, Derek Moore, 62, and Jason Shingler, 38.
Updates: Corporate manslaughter trial over fatal Bosley Mill explosion begins
Company director from Wood Treatment Ltd and two co-defendants have denied the charges
Clockwise, from top left: Derek Moore, William Barks, Jason Shingler, Dorothy Bailey, died in the Bosley mill explosion (Image: PA / Handout)
A company director is due to stand trial today accused of gross negligence manslaughter following the deaths of four people in a huge mill explosion.
The blast caused the four-storey Bosley Mill to collapse, with firefighters from across Cheshire called to the scene in July 2015.
Williams Barks, aged 51, from Cheddleton; Derek Moore, aged 62, from Goldenhill; Dorothy Bailey, aged 62, from Bosley; and Jason Shingler, aged 38, from Congleton, were all killed in the disaster at the mill, which made wood chip products.
George Boden, 64, has been accused of gross negligence manslaughter after a fire at the Bosley Mill in Cheshire in 2015 led to explosion that killed four people