The bang was heard at about 11am on Wednesday morning. No one was injured but the company reinforced its message about the danger and the hazards of explosives, even as small as batteries, being included in waste and recycling.
‘Guernsey Scrap Metal on Bulwer Avenue had an incident on Wednesday with what we believe was a small gas bottle exploding inside our machinery, which had come into our yard concealed in waste scrap metal for recycling,’ the company said.
‘Fortunately, no one was hurt. Our trained staff dealt with the issue quickly, and we are back working as usual this morning.’
Two St Sampson’s Church volunteers were out planting in the cemetery – which sits adjacent to the scrap yard – at the time of the explosion.
‘All of a sudden there was this great big bang,’ said Helen Godfrey.
‘We were shocked, and shaking. Our language was very colourful, there was a big cloud of dust and smoke and the fencing bulged and vibrated. We left the site for fear of our safety, and reported the incident at the douzaine room.’
St Sampson’s junior constable David Hannah said the two volunteers were visibly shaken when he met them over an hour and a half later. He contacted the fire brigade, but it knew nothing of the incident.
Mr Hannah said that the incident added to his ongoing personal concerns about the location of the scrap yard.
Two months ago another gas bottle had exploded within the facility, and the whole site experienced a major fire back in 2018.
‘This is a disaster waiting to happen,’ said Mr Hannah.
‘The scrap yard sits on top of Guernsey’s largest reserve of water – Longue Hougue quarry holds more water than St Saviours Reservoir – and scrap is falling into the waters. It is 200 yards away from the island’s fuel farm, and sits adjacent to the historic parish church and cemetery.’
Mr Hannah stressed that his concerns were in no way a criticism of the management at the Guernsey Scrap Metal site.
‘I think it’s being managed very well,’ he said.
‘But the site is far too small for the amount of recycling that we have now – it’s outgrown its site. And they can’t work in there, not safely.’
He is calling for the site to be relocated, proposing that Griffiths Yard near Vale Castle might be a better option. The States has plans to reclaim the land adjacent to this area, at Black Rock.
‘Not only would it be given more room, but they could also put the scrap onto a conveyor belt, straight into the ship – saving 1,000 lorry crossings to and fro across the Bridge.’
Following the incident people are once again asked to check their waste for any dangerous items such as gas bottles, flares, and batteries which can cause fires or explosions.
‘The health and safety of our staff, customers and visitors is always our first priority,’ said a spokesman for Guernsey Scrap Metal.
‘We ask all customers to please be extra vigilant checking their waste material.’
n A full list of what Guernsey Scrap Metal can and cannot accept can be found its websites: https://guernseyscrapmetal.gg and https://www.islandwaste.gg