MP 'satisifed' with accident inquiry

One man survived the accident

An MP says she will write to the families of three men killed in an power station accident after the safety watchdog decided not to prosecute over the deaths.

Paul Surtees, Darren Higgins, and Andrew Sherwood were killed while carrying out maintenance work on a transformer at the former Enron power station near Redcar on Teesside in August 2001.

On Wednesday, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said it has decided not to bring a prosecution following the tragedy.

The decision followed a verdict of accidental death at an inquest in February.

Vera Baird, MP for Redcar, said: "I am reasonably satisfied... I have no reason to think they [the HSE] haven't carried out their investigation totally thoroughly.

"The question is now, are the families satisfied.

This was a well planned job which went wrong in the last few minutes of the job

Ian Waugh, HSE

"I'm going to write to them and find out and then it is open to them, if they have any residual doubts, to take legal advice about whether they can bring a civil action against Enron.

"As far as the HSE and the public sources are concerned, I want to ascertain that they feel satisfied the job has been done properly."

Ian Waugh, head of operations for the HSE in Yorkshire and the North East said: "Our main investigation was completed within weeks of this tragic incident but we couldn't finish until after the inquest.

"We have examined the integrity of the plant in great detail... it is as good as, if not better than, other power stations in the country.

"This was a well planned job which went wrong in the last few minutes of the job."

Short circuit

"We have to examine what the company did, what the directors did, what the individuals concerned did, leading up to the accident and compare that with what they should have done in the law.

"We then look at the gap between it and consider whether there is sufficient evidence for a realistic prosecution.

"It would be quite wrong for us to bring a prosecution for us against Enron."

February's inquest heard how the team inadvertently short circuited the 16,000 volt transformer while trying to alter its voltage.

A fireball erupted from the device, instantly killing Mr Sherwood, 36, and Mr Higgins, 28.

Mr Surtees, 41, died later at Middlesbrough General Hospital after suffering 90% burns.

Graeme White, 39, from Billingham, survived the blast,