Tanning firm to be prosecuted over chemical spill

Emergency services respond to the chemical spill which injured 21 workers at Tasman Tanning's Castlecliff plant in November last year. Photo / File

Tasman Tanning is to face prosecution over a chemical spill in Wanganui last November which injured 21 of its workers, two of them seriously.

Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment spokesman Britton Broun yesterday confirmed that the ministry had finished its six-month investigation into the incident and the Wanganui tannery would be in court in June.

Mr Broun could not say what charges the company would face.

"We cannot provide any further information until the matter is called before the Wanganui District Court on June 6," he said.

Tasman Tanning managing director Hunter Tait could not be contacted for comment.

The incident happened just before 5pm on November 2, 2012, at Tasman Tanning's plant.

Two workers were flown to Wellington Hospital in a critical but stable condition after a mix-up with chemicals created a cloud of hydrogen sulphide.

Another 19 people exposed to the gas were assessed at Wanganui Hospital.

The two seriously injured men were released from hospital about a week later.

Mr Tait later said the incident would have to be put down to operator error.

"Sulphuric acid was added to the wrong processor at the plant and the combination with the chemicals in that processor caused the hydrogen sulphide cloud," he said.

Mr Tait said the two injured workers were "very good, long-standing employees with excellent work records". "We all make mistakes, but all these procedures we have are being investigated by the appropriate government people."

Mr Tait said all staff were kept up to date about handling chemicals and it was something the company regularly revisited.