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HE INDUSTRY was brought into the sharp focus of public concern st weekend when a Salford transport depot was destroyed by cploding chemicals. Government and local authority officials are ivestigating, and the ramifications could be felt for a long time.
The explosion, at B & R auliers' premises in Salford ..:curred shortly before midght on Saturday, and caused densive damage. No one was triously injured, but at one )int around 700 residents of e area were evacuated.
B&R is an 11-vehicle operator Id a member of the Road 3ulage Association. It stored irious types of chemicals at the te, including a quantity of idium chlorate which Greater anchester Council's fire serce believes was a major factor the initial explosion.
As CM closed for press on Jesday, the fire service was still vestigating the cause of the exosion, but a spokesman said at it was reasonably confident at the sodium chlorate and her as-yet-unidentified chemiils were responsible for the aze being so fierce.
He added that although B&R's wner, Adrian Bloor, assisted .nior fire officers in identifying le products in the warehouse, le fire caused such damage iat they were unable to identify ie containers as labels had een destroyed. The company as unable to say what these )ntainers held.
According to the fire service, le task of identifying chemicals ter the fire has been hampered y the degree of damage. The spokesman said that the premises were covered with a black, treacle-like substance to knee level, and it was doubtful whether much would be identified before the end of this week.
He added that, as the premises are used as a transport warehouse, there is no obligation to inform the fire service about the storage of chemicals. The company had met its obligations under the 1947 Fire Services Act which gives the fire service authority to ascertain whether adequate escape routes exist from the depot.
Because MPs and other elected representatives have expressed concern about the potentially disastrous effects which the fire could have had, the Home Office is taking a close interest in the investigations.
And the Health and Safety Executive confirmed this week that it is investigating whether the depot complied with regulations on storage. It expects to take some months to complete its checks.
An HSE spokesman declined to comment on the Executive's view about the adequacy of existing legislation, which includes powers to prosecute any company which fails to meet the regulations.