The Court of Inquiry

Parker, R. J. (Chairman), 1975. The Flixborough Disaster. Report of the Court of Inquiry. London HM Stationery Office. 

Referring to the stack filter, the report of the Court of Inquiry (Penney, 1957) stated Iodine vapour had come through the filter but the major part of the particulate material had been caught by the filter . This was published before analyses of the filter material were available, and was incorrect. Most of the activity on the filter was associated with a yellow powder (Crouch Swainbank, 1958). The powder comprised chain aggregates of submicrometre particles of lead and bismuth oxides, which originated as a fume in the reactor. The distribution of fission products on the powder, as between volatile and refractory elements, was similar to that found in the environment. 

The Minutes of Proceedings of the Court of Inquiry Into the Disaster which occurred at Nypro (U.K.) Ltd. Flixborough stated in part [18]... 

There are clear indications from the previous material that if there had been the simultaneous discharge from two reactors, as required by the Court of Inquiry, both the laboratory and control room staff should have appreciated the threat and been able to escape. In addition, blast damage to the northern portions of sections 25A and 7 should then have been more extreme since this northerly developing cloud should also have exploded. 

Ayie, E. 1974. Minutes of Proceedings at the Court of Inquiry into the disaster which occurred at Nypro (UK) Ltd., FUxborough, Thirty-fourth Day, November 15. 

Members of the Court of Inquiry included A.E. Childs, DCDRD, D.W Henderson, Chief Superintendent Microbiological Research Department, B.A. Weston, Deputy Chief Safety Officer, M.R Griffith-Jones, Legal i, J.H. Chambers, Principal Medical Officer, R D Estabs., R.D. Max, RAF, and J.M. Barnes, MRC Ml, Folder 2A, Exhibit MNJ/20/1, MoS, Report of a Court of Inquiry into Death of Maddison , May 1953, pp. 84—142, here p. 86. 

CuUumbine reiterated the point during the Court of Inquiry see MI, Transcript, Day 61, pp. 44f... 

The causes of the Clapham Junction accident were fairly clear from the beginning. But the reasons for the King s Cross accident were not immediately understood and intensive investigations surrounded the inquiry. Apart from the Court of Inquiry and the assessors appointed to advise on technical matters, a team of consulting engineers was appointed to advise on technical matters. A scientific committee was also established. 

Health and Safety Exeeutive (1975). The Flixborough disaster report of the Court of Inquiry. HMSO. 

Report of the Court of Inquiry into the Accidents to Comet G-ALYP on January 10,1954 and Comet G-ALYY on April 8, 1954, HMSO, 1955. 

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