BOSSES at a former chipboard manufacturer and a paper firm in East Lancashire have confessed to serious failings. The admissions follow the death of two engineers in 2010.

Now, following the deaths of Thomas Elmer and James Bibby on a conveyor belt at Sonae’s plant in Knowsley, a Crown Court judge could impose unlimited fines or even jail terms on those involved with the now-defunct operator and Metso Paper, located in Haslingden.

MORE TOP STORIES:

Representatives from the former Sonae and Metso, now known as Valmet Ltd, each admitted an offence, under the Management Of Health And Safety At Work Regulations, of failing to carry out a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks to the health and safety of employees and non-employees at the Kirkby factory.

Ex-management at Sonae pleaded guilty to contravening section three of the Health And Safety At Work Act 1974, which covers enforcement and remedy notices.

And officials at Metso, which has premises in Manchester Road, Haslingden, admitted the same charge and a further offence, under section two of the same legislation, involving breach of duties of care.

A Health & Safety Executive spokesman said: “On conviction in the Crown Court, for breach of the terms of an improvement or prohibition notice, the maximum penalty is an unlimited fine or two years’ imprisonment.”

Jurors at a previous inquest into the deaths of Mr Elmer and Mr Bibby, who both came from Rossendale, said that the pair, while being shown how a conveyor leading to a silo could be isolated, had not been given a physical demonstration.

The pair, maintenance sub-contractors working for Metso, died when they were dragged into machinery at the Sonae plant in December 2010. The chipboard maker closed the site in 2012.

An inquest heard that a sensor within the machinery was triggered, leading to the conveyor belt restarting while Mr Elmer, 27 and Mr Bibby, 25, both of Waterfoot, were still inside.

The two firms at fault will face sentence at Liverpool Crown Court on July 9.