The warning was issued after another devastating fire at an industrial estate in Swindon last month.
Danielle Evans, 40, as a result of the explosion at Treforest Industrial Estate in December 2023(Image: WALES NEWS SERVICE)
An urgent safety warning has been issued to companies using printing machinery believed to be the cause of the fatal Treforest Industrial Estate explosion after another devastating fire at an industrial estate in Swindon last month. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said it has “significant concerns about the safe use” of what is known as a sublimation calendar machine, manufactured by Turkish-based Diferro.
WalesOnline previously obtained a South Wales Fire Service report into the explosion at Treforest Industrial Estate, Rhondda Cynon Taf, in December 2023 which identified the cause as a “fault” in a Turkish-made calendar press machine used for transferring designs onto fabrics.
Danielle Evans, 40, was crushed to death following the explosion at one of the units in Rizla House, the building where she worked. The death of Mrs Evans, from Gorseinon in Swansea, who was described by her family as “the best friend anyone could hope for”, is still being investigated by police.
Danielle Evans, who died in an explosion in Treforest Industrial Estate(Image: South Wales Police)
On Friday, October 10, the HSE issued a new urgent safety warning for the Diferro printing machine, after investigations established it was in use at the site of another explosion last month.
An explosion and subsequent fire ripped through a warehouse ot Groundwell Industrial Estate in Swindon, Wiltshire, on September 24.
No one was injured in the “catastrophic” explosion, the regulator said.
In an update the HSE said it was taking steps to stop any other Diferro machines from coming into the country. For the biggest stories in Wales first, sign up to our daily newsletter here
The aftermath of the explosion and fire at Rizla House on Treforest Industrial Estate(Image: Jack Densley)
The regulator added that anyone using the equipment should not leave it unattended while it is connected to the power supply. If in any doubt, the HSE said, the equipment shouldn’t be used.
The body is also investigating the design of the machine and a possible link with the Treforest explosion.
Luke Messenger, head of technical product safety at HSE said: “We have significant concerns about the safe use of these machines.
“The guidance issued following the Treforest Industrial Estate incident has clear instructions – revisions to this have been published and we will continue to share any further updates.
“We never want to see a repeat of the fatality in 2023 or the recent catastrophic explosion in Swindon.”
Diferro has been contacted for comment.