The court heard the company ignored warnings from staff before the explosion
20 June 2011
Shell UK has been fined £1m plus £240,000 costs after an explosion at a gas terminal in Norfolk in 2008.
The company admitted seven safety and pollution offences following the explosion and fire at the Bacton terminal.
Ipswich Crown Court heard the company ignored warnings from staff before the explosion.
The prosecution was brought by the Environment Agency and the Health and Safety Executive.
Shell admitted breaching two Health and Safety Regulations and five areas of environmental legislation, including pollution prevention and control.
“Sleepwaking into danger’
The blast in February 2008 could have killed 10 people, according to prosecutor Andrew Marshall.
The only reason there were no fatalities was because staff were changing shifts at the time, he added.
Judge Martin Binning heard Shell managers had been warned several times by workers over the presence of high levels of North Sea condensate, a highly-flammable hydro-carbon.
Shell UK had previously admitted not taking sufficient steps to protect staff and the public.
Mr Marshall said: “Management were sleepwalking into danger, no matter what was brought to their attention.
“What is not in doubt is that what took place could have been fatal for those in the vicinity of this lethal blast.
“The Crown estimates that 10 people could have been killed and that is not taking into account the injuries, serious injuries and further issues that can follow from such a situation.”
This website and sisters royaldutchshellplc.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.
Royal Dutch Shell conspired directly with Hitler, financed the Nazi Party, was anti-Semitic and sold out its own Dutch Jewish employees to the Nazis. Shell had a close relationship with the Nazis during and after the reign of Sir Henri Deterding, an ardent Nazi, and the founder and decades long leader of the Royal Dutch Shell Group. His burial ceremony, which had all the trappings of a state funeral, was held at his private estate in Mecklenburg, Germany. The spectacle (photographs below) included a funeral procession led by a horse drawn funeral hearse with senior Nazis officials and senior Royal Dutch Shell directors in attendance, Nazi salutes at the graveside, swastika banners on display and wreaths and personal tributes from Adolf Hitler and Reichsmarschall, Hermann Goring. Deterding was an honored associate and supporter of Hitler and a personal friend of Goring.
Deterding was the guest of Hitler during a four day summit meeting at Berchtesgaden. Sir Henri and Hitler both had ambitions on Russian oil fields. Only an honored personal guest would be rewarded with a private four day meeting at Hitler’s mountain top retreat.
IN JULY 2007, MR BILL CAMPBELL (ABOVE, A RETIRED GROUP AUDITOR OF SHELL INTERNATIONAL SENT AN EMAIL TO EVERY UK MP AND MEMBER OF THE HOUSE OF LORDS: 
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A head-cut image of Alfred Donovan (now deceased) appears courtesy of The Wall Street Journal.
