Trial set for energy firm after fatal Thurrock explosion
An Essex energy company is to face trial in 2027 following the death of a 27-year-old employee after an explosion in Thurrock.
Alessandro Smaldone died after an incident involving a low-voltage link box in Daiglen Drive, South Ockendon, in January 2023.
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Two directors of UK Power Networks (Operations) Ltd appeared at Basildon Crown Court on 20 October. Mark Adolphus and Tony Cohen entered not guilty pleas through their barrister to charges brought by the Health and Safety Executive.
The prosecution alleges that the company failed to protect employees from exposure to flammable gas and failed to safeguard non-employees from the same risks.
Prosecutor Gordon Menzies told the court that the case would centre on whether the firm in Thurrock had provided adequate equipment for workers. The trial is expected to focus on the HSE’s claim that employees did not receive enough salt to de-ice link boxes at the time of the explosion.
The trial has been scheduled for April 2027 and is expected to last around three weeks.
The HSE provides detailed guidance on workplace safety standards, including handling of hazardous environments, which can be accessed here.
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[Image Credit | Essex Police]
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