THE Icepak coldstore which exploded in 2007 following a propane refrigerant leak had no gas detection systems in place and had experienced a massive leak just six months earlier, an inquest has heard.
The inquest in New Zealand into the death of senior firefighter Derek Lovell in the fatal incident in Tamahere has already revealed a number of deficiencies at the plant including gas detection systems and alarm activations that did not work, reports the NZ Herald.

The plant's refrigeration system, which was installed by Mobile Refrigeration Specialists (MRS), was reportedly prone to leaks and needed constant maintenance and experienced ongoing problems.

The fatal incident which occurred on 5 April 2008, took place less than a year after a major leak was reported in the plant room at the coolstore with 80kg of the gas leaking out in November 2007.

MRS invoiced Icepak to replace more than 200kg of hydrocarbon gas, hychill minus 50, on 15 occasions although neither the Department of Labour, the Waikato District Council nor the Fire Service were aware of its use at the coolstore.

In his evidence, Department of Labour health and safety inspector Keith Stewart said that on the day of the explosion, a ruptured pipe leaked the gas into the plant but Icepak's gas detection and ventilation systems were inadequate for the type of refrigerant used and failed to pick up its presence.

This failure, he said 'rendered all other safety systems inoperative'. He said hycill minus 50, which is 95 per cent propane, is heavier than air and a smoke alarm on the ceiling did not detect it until about four hours after it had leaked.

The inquest into the death of Mr Lovell also heard that the facility did not have adequate safety measures in place for its refrigeration gas, as reported by the Waikato Times.

Mr Stewart said that Icepak Coolstore at Tamahere did not meet requirements for the safe use of hydrocarbons in its cooling system. He said the hydrocarbon hychill -50 was first installed in 2002 before more was added to the plant in 2006. He added that the Tamahere plant did not have either a gas detection system or gas ventilation system in place.

When the first firefighters arrived on the scene they had no way of knowing what was coming next. TVNZ reports that Keith Stewart told the inquest: 'The room was filled with a misty gas or haze. There was vapour at floor level, simliar to when one opens a freezer. There was no siren activated, no ventilation fan activated.'

Mr Lovell and his colleagues were oblivious that just walking into the room may have caused the explosion.

The week-long inquest will focus on ways of avoiding future deaths in similar circumstances.

Police decided not to lay criminal charges after the disaster but the Department of Labour successfully prosecuted Waikato Coldstorage Ltd (formerly Icepak Coolstores Ltd), and Mobile Refrigeration Specialists (MRS), which installed the fire alarm unit, under the Health and Safety in Employment Act.