One of Sterecycle's autoclave chambers

Sterecycle Limited, a waste treatment and recycling company in liquidation, is to be prosecuted with corporate manslaughter. The charge relates to the death of employee Michael Whinfrey on 11 January 2011 at the company site in Templeborough, Rotherham.

Whinfrey’s death is understood to have resulted from an explosion caused by a sudden drop in pressure within an autoclave chamber due to the failure of a pressure valve. The door of the autoclave was blown off, fatally injuring Whinfrey and badly injuring his colleague Peter Davis.

Autoclaves apply steam and pressure to sterilise residual waste, separating off materials for recycling and transforming the organic portion of the waste to produce power through anaerobic digestion (AD) or combined heat and power (CHP) plants.

Case details

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) for Yorkshire and Humberside has stated that the initial hearing is to take place next Monday (14 October) at Rotherham Magistrates’ Court. This announcement follows a lengthy investigation by both the Health and Safety Executive and South Yorkshire Police.

Proceedings will also involve individual charges under Section 7 of the Health and Safety Act. Within this framework, the site manager, Kevin Goss, operations manager, Steven Weaver, and operations director, Paul Greenwell, will all face prosecution for professional negligence relating to the explosion that resulted in Whinfrey’s death.

Kevin Goss is to be further charged with perverting the course of justice.

Jane Wragg, specialist prosecutor in the CPS Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, said: "I have carefully reviewed the evidence gathered by South Yorkshire Police and the Health and Safety Executive during their investigation into the tragic death of Michael Whinfrey. I have concluded that Sterecycle (Rotherham) Limited should be charged with an offence of corporate manslaughter.

"The decision was taken in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors."

Liquidation of Sterecycle

Sterecycle’s operations formerly ceased with the announcement of liquidation on 19September 2012. Since that date, it and three subsidiaries (Sterecycle Management Services Limited; Sterecycle Holdings Limited; and Sterecycle (Rotherham) Limited), which employ around 50 people, have been up for sale.

At its peak, the Rotherham plant treated up to 130,000 tonnes of waste a year, and plans had been made to extend this to 175,000 tonnes.

However, prior to administration, the company experienced a ‘significant downturn in trading’. This was understood to be cumulatively due to the death of Michael Whinfrey, a general decline in the value of recyclates and the failure to list on the Toronto Venture Exchange.

Read more about Sterecycle’s administration.