ESP Smile, Printing Company Explosion in Swindon, UK

The explosion at the ESP Smile printing facility in Swindon was, by the grace of God, a zero-casualty event. However, for the health and safety community, an incident with such high potential for catastrophe cannot be filed away as a "near miss." It must be treated as a critical learning opportunity—a stark, real-world case study demanding a forensic examination of our own practices.

The Health and Safety Executive's (HSE) ongoing investigation and its urgent Safety Alert (SA01/25) concerning the Diferro sublimation calender machine provide the technical starting point. But for the practitioner on the ground, the lessons run deeper than a single piece of equipment. They strike at the very heart of how we manage risk, ensure competency, and validate the safety of our most critical assets.

Here are five specific, actionable lessons every HSE professional should be considering right now.

Lesson 1: The Dynamic Risk Assessment – Beyond the Static Document
The Swindon incident is a powerful argument that for high-energy equipment, a "one-and-done" risk assessment is insufficient. We must embed a dynamic approach to risk management.

Actionable Steps:

• Scrutinise Your 'Written Scheme of Examination' (WSE): Under the Pressure Systems Safety Regulations 2000 (PSSR), the WSE is paramount. Is yours authored by a genuinely "competent person" with deep experience in thermal fluid systems, not just generic pressure vessels? Does it specify examination of failure points like welds, seals, and heating elements, or is it a generic template?

• Model Catastrophic Failure: Your risk assessment must go beyond identifying hazards like "burns" or "pressure release." You must model a catastrophic, instantaneous failure. What is the blast radius? What is the potential for a jet fire from atomised, superheated thermal oil? Does this hazard cross-contaminate other work areas or affect site evacuation routes? This may require engaging specialist external consultants.

• Integrate Process and Mechanical Assessments: Don't assess the machine in isolation. Assess the process. What are the risks during start-up and shutdown? What happens during a power failure? How do fluctuations in temperature and pressure affect the system's integrity over time? This is where PUWER 98 (Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations) and PSSR intersect.

Lesson 2: Competency is More Than a Training Certificate
An operator can be trained in the standard operating procedure (SOP) of a machine, but that is not the same as being competent in identifying its precursor failure conditions.

Actionable Steps:

• Implement Anomaly Training: Train operators not just on how to run the equipment, but on what "abnormal" looks and sounds like. A slight, unusual vibration, a minor pressure fluctuation that's still "within limits," a faint, unfamiliar smell—these are the signals that a competent, engaged operator should be empowered to report without fear of blame.

• Develop a "Stop Work" Authority Culture: Does every operator of critical equipment feel they have the authority and backing from management to hit the emergency stop or shut down the process if they are even slightly unsure about its safety? This cultural element is as crucial as any engineered control.

• Verify Supervisory Competence: The shift supervisor's role is critical. Are they equipped to understand the technical readouts from such machinery? Can they effectively challenge an operator who might be normalising deviance for the sake of production?

Lesson 3: The Procurement Blind Spot – Scrutinising the Supply Chain
The HSE's focus on a specific manufacturer, Diferro, highlights a major risk area. Safety assurance begins the moment you consider purchasing a piece of equipment, not the day it arrives.

Actionable Steps:

• Mandate a Technical Safety File Review: Before any purchase order is signed, demand the full technical file. This should include design calculations, material specifications, quality control records, and the basis for its UKCA/CE marking. Have your own competent engineer review this file for robustness.

• Question the Manufacturer: Ask pointed questions related to known failure modes. "Have there been any safety-related incidents or recalls with this model? What are the key safety-critical components and what is their specified inspection frequency and lifespan?" The manufacturer's response—or lack thereof—is telling.

• Second-Hand Equipment Scrutiny: For used machinery, a thorough PSSR and PUWER assessment by an independent competent body is non-negotiable. A low price may reflect a high-risk history.

Lesson 4: Emergency Response – Planning for the Unthinkable
Swindon's emergency plan worked in that people were evacuated safely. But we must plan for the event, not just the outcome.

Actionable Steps:

• Drill for Specific Scenarios: An evacuation drill for a fire is different from one for an explosion. Your drills must incorporate scenarios with blocked exits, potential structural instability, and the presence of hazardous materials (like spilled thermal oil).

• First Aid Preparedness: Is your first aid provision adequate for treating severe thermal burns from substances other than water? Are first aiders trained to handle chemical-specific injuries?

• Environmental Containment: A catastrophic failure will likely release the entire volume of thermal fluid. Does your site have adequate secondary containment (bunding) and spill response procedures to prevent an environmental disaster running in parallel to the safety incident?

Conclusion: A Catalyst for Proactive Assurance
The events in Swindon are not a reason for fear, but a catalyst for focused, professional action. They remind us that our role is to be chronically uneasy, to constantly question assumptions, and to look for the cracks in the system before they become catastrophic failures.

Take some time this afternoon, perhaps after the Asr prayer when the day’s immediate pressures have calmed, to reflect. Select one piece of critical equipment on your site and ask these hard questions. Use the Swindon incident not as a news story, but as a free, invaluable, and urgent consultation on your own safety systems. The answers you find may be the most important work you do this year.