Boss guilty of man's blast death

Ben Pinkham died six days after suffering burns

A Devon man has been found guilty of manslaughter after a young apprentice died following an explosion at a boatyard on 3 February 2003.

Heating engineer Ben Pinkham, 21, suffered 90% burns when the highly flammable solvent he was using to clean a resin storage tank ignited.

Alan Mark, 45, of Burleigh Manor, Plymouth, had pleaded not guilty.

Mark's company, Plymouth-based Nationwide Heating Systems Ltd, was also found guilty of manslaughter.

Adjourning sentencing until Wednesday, Mr Justice Steel extended Mark's bail but warned him: "Be under no illusions - all options are open."

Damaged lungs

Mr Pinkham, of Saltash, was working at a Plymouth boatyard owned by luxury boat manufacturers Princess Yachts International when the blast occurred..

He died in hospital six days after the explosion.

A post-mortem examination found he had suffered nearly 90% burns and his lungs had been damaged by the inhalation of hot gasses.

He had not been warned about the dangers of using acetone solvents in a confined space, the jury at Exeter Crown Court was told.

Mark and Nationwide had denied manslaughter, but pleaded guilty to three health and safety offences.

The firm and the managing director also admitted failing to make a suitable and sufficient assessment of risks to the health and safety of employees.

Princess Yachts pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to two health and safety offences.