New documents reveal faults at Mossmorran – Kingdom FM – Auto Republish

The troubled Mossmorran plant has suffered from damaged fire-proof panals, as well as both water and gas leaks, over the last three years.

Documents from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) under Freedom of Information legislation show that the ethylene plant has struggled with technical and safety problems since 2015.

People living in nearby Kelty, Cowdenbeath and Lochgelly have been complaining in recent years of health problems they say are caused by the plant.

Mark Ruskell, an MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, said: “These reports reveal a corporate culture where health and safety compliance sits at a bare minimum and where actions demanded by the regulator are allowed to drift from year to year. 

“It’s clear that the operators have, like the plant itself, failed to move with the times with an under-investment in corroding infrastructure, safety systems and specialist staff.

“Mossmorran and Braefoot are major employers in Fife, the operators have a responsibility to stop the corner cutting and get the plants operating at a higher standard. 

“I expect the joint investigation launched by SEPA and HSE last month to thoroughly consider these ongoing concerns, alongside community issues like flaring.”

A statement from ExxonMobil Chemical Limited, which runs the Fife Ethylene Plant, says:

“Like all industrial sites, the Fife Ethylene Plant (FEP) is regulated closely by the HSE to ensure the safe working of the plant.

“The HSE also visits and completes regular inspections of FEP to assess all safety measures and identify any areas for improvement.

“As recently as February this year, the HSE confirmed that there are no serious deficiencies in the necessary preventative measures at FEP under the COMAH (Control of Major Accident Hazards) regulations, and there are currently no actions overdue.

“In order for a plant like FEP to work by the stringent COMAH precautionary standards, it is vital to assess where the highest potential hazards are on site in order to mitigate against major risks.

“The nature of the documents released under a Freedom of Information request relate to regular dialogue between the HSE and FEP as part of the ongoing inspection and review process.

“The depth and technical detail of the review process and dialogue between the HSE and FEP is recorded rigorously, and we welcome this.

“FEP is committed to the highest standards of health and safety and our operations include regular internal inspections to ensure we maintain our excellent record – this is reflected in the fact that in the past 22 years there have been no serious injuries at all on site. “