Overview

At about 4.53 p.m. on Saturday 1st June 1974, the Flixborough Works of Nypro (UK) Ltd (Nypro) were virtually demolished by an explosion of war-like dimensions. Of those working on the site at the time, 28 were killed and 36 others suffered injuries. If the explosion had occurred on an ordinary working day, many more people would have been on the site, and the number of casualties would have been much greater. Outside the Works injuries and damage were widespread but no one was killed. Fifty-three people were recorded as casualties by the casualty bureau, which was set up by the police; hundreds more suffered relatively minor injuries, which were not recorded. Property damage extended over a wide area, and a preliminary survey showed that 1821 houses and 167 shops and factories had suffered to a greater or lesser degree. (R.J. Parker, 1975 the Flixborough Report, para. 1)

The Flixborough explosion was by far the most serious accident which had occurred in the chemical industry in the United Kingdom for many years.

The explosion was in the reactor section, Section 25A, of the caprolactam plant.

Within a month of the disaster a Court of Inquiry under the chairmanship of Mr R.J. Parker was set up under Section 84 of the Factories Act 1961 to establish the causes and circumstances of the disaster and to point out any lessons which might be learned.

The Court s report The Flixborough Disaster , Report of the Court of Inquiry (R.J.