The real AW history timeline- the only one worth knowing

 

In the last post, I looked at the former website of this then international company. One of the astounding things on this 1998 ish piece was its claimed 150 year “brief history”, up to that point, “brief” being the operative word indeed!

Of course, they would not get the chance to update this, as they went caput in 2000, being swallowed up by the Rhodia onion eaters.

None of their history of course involved their PR disasters, accidents and fatalities on their sites, and their environmental record of shame, far in contrast to the bullshit lies on their website about corporate responsibility and environmental protection. The Albright and Wilson toxic archive links on this website tell the real story of AW, throughout their years of destruction and vile pollution. Of course, there is no mention of places like Rattlechain Lagoon- and the story of this site is told chronologically at this page.

Here is a summary with relevant links to Albright and Wilson’s real 150 years of history, the part that they conveniently left out, and the only history worth knowing. It’s been an interesting jigsaw puzzle reviewing this list of the macabre and downright shocking, and who knows what may yet come to light…..

A BRIEF HISTORY OF GRIME

1851 Albright and Wilson partnership founded.

1899 AW worker Eli Guest Killed and several other workers badly injured following explosion of steam from boiler. 

1902 Several men badly burnt following an “alarming” gas explosion at the works. 

1939 Munitions worker James Pinel charged and found guilty of sabotaging works equipment by attempted arson attack. 

1940/50’s The legendary “Oldbury smell” gave rise to a slew of complaints concerning pollution and ill health in the Oldbury area and further afield.

1948 Director Thomas Ashton commits suicide at the site, in relation to his work. 

1952 Phosphorus blaze in Trinity Street factory. 

1953 Another fire at Trinity Street destroys an office and single story block roof. 

1955 Research chemist Phillip Carter commits suicide, also blamed on his work at Oldbury. 

1955 Maintenance fitter George Buck dies of fatal injuries after being showered with white phosphorus at the AW Portishead factory, just two years after it had opened. 

1959 Phosphorus pentasulphide fire at the site requires firemen with breathing apparatus to tackle it. 

1960 Phosphorus fire explosion at the plant requires a three hour battle from firefighters to extinguish it. 

1963 Toluene gas explosion at Trinity Street injures 4 firemen. 

1967 Worker Thomas Gough dies in another explosion at the oil additives plant in Trinity Street. 

1968/69 Disastrous Placentia Bay fish deaths at AW’s flagship new Long Harbour plant killed millions of fish and destroyed the ecosystem with phossy water pollution- from phosphorus production. Albright and Wilson neared bankruptcy with the closing of this plant.

Dec 1972 Worker receives “severe burns to the face, neck and buttocks” following exposure to phosphorus substance. 

Jan 1974 27 workers overcome by chlorine gas fumes at Trinity Street. 

1976 white phosphorus fire en route to rattlechain lagoon when waste catches fire. 

1982 Chemical process employee at Trinity Street loses leg and has other foot mangled due to AW negligence. He would only receive compensation from them 11 years later through the courts. 

February 1986 A blaze at the works missed by works firemen who were watching a fire training video!

June 1986 Employee burned by phosphorus at Trinity Street, the first of two fires in six hours at the site. 

July 1986 Derailment of white phosphorus train in Ohio US leads to massive casualties due to toxic release of gases and fire. 

June 1988 Phosphine gas fire following explosion at Trinity Street. 

July 1989 Albright and Wilson IS FINED ….FOR ALLOWING RADIOACTIVE DUST TO BLOW AROUND A DOCKSIDE SITE at Portishead. This in contrast to lies published in Albright World about the operation.

July/September 1989 Two fires involving the chemical phosphorus sesquisulphide pour more spotlight over safety at this factory. 

October 1989 White phosphorus fire at Rattlechain lagoon sparks interest in the site from concerned residents and unsuspecting councillors. 

February 1990 Workers at Trinity Street flee orange toxic acid cloud released. 

February/March 1990 Foul gas given off at Trinity Street blamed on “faulty equipment”

August 1990. Massive phosphorus drum fire at Portishead site

October 1990 Greenpeace take Albright and Wilson to court in a private prosecution winning case under the 1989 Water Act for pollution from their Whitehaven works. 

December 1990 5o tonnes of white phosphorus reported to have caught fire sending plumes of toxic gas across Langley. 

June 1991. Explosion at AW’s Charleston plant producing phosphorus chemicals in the US killed 9 men and injured many more. 

Jan 1992 A train carrying 50 tonnes of white phosphorus caught fire on delivery to the Trinity Street factory, emitting toxic gas. 

October 1996. A large fire at AW’s Avonmouth plant after ludicrous health and safety mix up of containers.

‘Albright and Wilson fined £60,000 after explosion at chemical plant’, Safety Management, July/August 1999, p8, British Safety Council.

1999 onwards –Dead birds appear at Rattlechain lagoon and are first documented to be dying on this “lake of death” after being poisoned by white phosphorus.