Sentences ease firefighters' loss

Derek Lovell. Photo / Supplied

The sentencing of two companies and a company director over a fatal coolstore explosion in the Waikato has given firefighters closure.

Waikato region's assistant fire region commander Roy Breeze said hearing the full details of what happened in the blast in April last year had helped somewhat.

"Although it will keep popping up for years to come, with the coroner's inquest etc, it has provided some level of closure," he said.

Yesterday Icepak Coolstore Ltd, its co-director Wayne Grattan and Mobile Refrigeration Specialists (MRS) were fined $37,200, $30,000 and $56,000 respectively - after Grattan and MRS earlier pleaded guilty to breaches of health and safety regulations.

Judge Robert Spear also ordered Icepak to pay $95,000 and MRS $175,000 in reparation. Of that $60,000 will go to Mr Lovell's widow Milli, and amounts between $20,000 and $50,000 will go to the injured firefighters.

Hamilton senior station officer Derek Lovell, 49, was killed and seven other firefighters were injured during the explosion at the 4000sq m Icepak coolstore in Tamahere, 12km from Hamilton. The blast sent a 2000km/h blast wave through the area.

Merv Neil, 43, was taken to the burns unit at Auckland's Middlemore Hospital with burns over 70 per cent of his body. The other five firefighters, David Beanland, Adrian Brown, Brian Halford, Alvan Walker and Dennis Wells were admitted to Waikato Hospital. Cameron Grylls was slightly hurt and did not go to hospital.

Mr Breeze said he was confident the judge had made an appropriate ruling.

He said 11 recommendations were made following the investigation into the explosion, all of which had been implemented nationwide.

These ranged from promoting information on building risks to different organisations to a higher level of risk planning within the organisation.

- ADDITIONAL REPORTING: NZPA