A COMPANY has been fined after two workers were burned in an explosion.

JD Macadam and Son (Garages) Ltd of Hyde Park garage, North Valley Road, Colne, pleaded guilty to breaching health and safety laws and was fined £4,000 and ordered to pay £3,372.15 costs at Reedley Magistrates' Court.

The court was told that the workers were injured while in a shipping container that was being used as a tea room.

It contained a LPG heater which required low-level ventilation to allow LPG to disperse. Health and Safety inspector Sheldon Taylor said the container only had high-level ventilation which was "wholly unsuitable."

He said: "These two men were burnt in an explosion because the company had failed to take all reasonable measures to ensure their safety.

"The consequences of this incident could have been far worse.

"This case graphically illustrates that companies must ensure that they take all practicable steps to ensure the safety of their employees."

Mr Taylor said the shipping container should have been modified before use.

He said: "The LPG heater was fitted with a flame failure device which will only allow gas to be used while there is a flame.

"However the heater had been modified, causing the flame failure device not to work, allowing the LPG to escape when there was no flame."

The company pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.

The section states that "It shall be the duty of every employer to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all his employees".