Former dairy worker hurt by acid at Shropshire plant wins £8,500 payout
A former dairy worker has won thousands of pounds in compensation after suffering injuries when he was exposed to acid.
The man was burned on his hand and face and left feeling nauseous when working on a tank at a Dairy Crest plant in Shropshire.
The 56-year-old has now won £8,500 after taking legal action.
The man, who wants to remain anonymous, claims he is still suffering four years after the accident at the factory in Crudgington.
The worker from Telford was asked to prepare pipework within a water tank at the Dairy Crest base.
The tank was supposed to be filled with water but unbeknown to him it had been cleaned with an acid known as Horilyf V, which had not been drained.
The engineer lifted the lid of the tank and was instantly hit by acid fumes, leading to his injuries.
He immediately rushed to a sink to wash himself before reporting the incident.
He suffered blistering to the skin on his left hand and irritation to his eyes.
When the symptoms did not improve, he went to hospital where he was diagnosed with dermatitis.
The man said: "Working with chemicals wasn't usually something that I had to do, and I wasn't given overalls or gloves that were suitable for dealing with acidic substances.
"There were no markings on the tank to suggest it was filled with acid so I opened it without any idea that anything was wrong.
"I was immediately taken aback by the strong smell of the fumes inside.
"Even four years later, I feel like I'm constantly fighting my condition. If I don't apply cream and eye drops the irritation flares up."
Industrial disease specialists Thompsons Solicitors took his compensation claim to court.
The Crudgington dairy closed its doors in February 2015.
The Cathedral City cheese and Clover spread maker first announced plans to shut the factory in September 2009.
However, the company has now built new £4 million innovation centre at Harper Adams, and around 40 members of staff have moved over to the university near Newport.
The company's operations in Shropshire have been significantly scaled back over the last two decades. In 1998, the company announced the closure of its Ellesmere creamery, with the loss of 330 jobs. At the peak of its operation, the Crudgington plant employed around 200 people producing spreads such as Clover, Argento and Willow, plus Country Life Butter.
Dairy Crest was contacted for a comment but failed to respond.
