Warning after Rugby gas explosion
An explosion at a Warwickshire County Council Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC) has led to a warning being issued about the dangers of disposing gas cylinders.
Hunters Lane HWRC and Transfer Station in Rugby was closed for 45 minutes on Thursday morning after a pressurised cylinder exploded while being compacted in the scrap metal skip.
Fortunately, there were no injuries to the public or staff. The skip was well alight after the explosion and firefighters attended to extinguish the blaze and the centre re-opened once declared safe.
Cllr Alan Cockburn, Warwickshire County Council’s Portfolio Holder for Environment and Economy, said: “This was a very serious incident at our Rugby recycling centre and we must warn people not to place gas containers into any of our skips.
“Responsibility rests with the disposer to ensure full safe and legal handling of any pressurised container.
“Gas cylinders should go back to their suppliers wherever possible because they are hazardous items and can present a danger to members of the public using our sites.”
The county council suspects that this item was concealed when it was disposed of in the skip - potentially a very dangerous action.
The public must make staff aware if they have brought any such pressurised item to our sites to throw away.
Some LPG cylinders can be accepted by some camping equipment shops and main cylinder suppliers.
They can be accepted at Prince’s Drive HWRC in Leamington at a minimum cost of £12 per item and Hunters Lane HWRC will take named cylinders for a charge of £6 per item (subject to size and type).