Dangerous Loads and Compensation
Page 32
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THE Town Clerk of West Bromwich has been instructed by the Town Council's general purposes committee to produce a report at an early date which might help it to suggest alterations in the regulations governing the carrying of chemicals by road.
This follows the settlement at £39,000. of the Council's claim for damages to Corporation properties in a chemical lorry explosion two years ago.
CIlr. F. G. Phillips, chairman of the general purposes committee said: "We have been made to realize the dangers of such a practice and we hope to come to the Council with some recommendation which may help to safeguard against any future incident of this kind anywhere in the country."
Commenting on the settlement at Monday's Council meeting, Aid. G. Hawkins said that certain aspects of the explosion incident should be taken up at national level. The time lapse between the incident and the settlement disclosed a serious weakness in the legal system.
Although the settlement was now regarded by the Corporation as satisfactory, said Aid. Hawkins, it was 12 months or more after the explosion before either of the two firms concerned were even prepared to acknowledge a responsibility.
(This explosion was investigated by the companies, who reported to the Home Office..—Ed.)