No charges over worker's death following Wednesbury factory explosion
No criminal charges will be brought after a man died when a tank exploded at a Wednesbury factory causing multiple injuries, an inquest has heard.
Raymond Wyman, from Pensnett, was working ad-hoc at KTC Edibles Limited, in Heath Road, when the explosion took place on October 31 2016.
Mr Wyman died from his injuries in the Queen Elizabeth Hospital days later in November.
An inquest was opened and adjourned into his death in December.
At a pre-inquest hearing at Black Country Coroner's Court on Thursday Zafar Siddique, senior coroner, told the hearing that the Crown Prosecution Service had decided no criminal charges will be brought.
A Health and Safety Executive investigation is still ongoing.
Mr Siddique said: "It has been some time and been quite a long investigation by the police.
"The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) have decided no criminal charges will be instigated.
"There was a victim's right to review, which went back to the CPS and the outcome of that decision remained the same.
"The matter has been referred back to me."
A previous inquest hearing in December 2016 had heard Mr Wyman had been working at the top of the four-metre tank, which was used by former site owners Caparo to store methanol.
He had been using an oxy propane cutting torch on top of the tank, which contained methanol.
The inquest heard that the torch was believed to have ignited the methanol, causing an explosion.
Mr Wyman was taken to Queen Elizabeth Hospital, but later died on November 8, 2016.
Mr Wyman was self-employed but was employed by contractor NKD Machinery Limited – who had been employed by KTC to do building work – to do ad-hoc labour work.
Mr Siddique adjourned the hearing for a further pre-inquest review to take place on May 30.
He set a provisional jury inquest date for July 22, expected to last for the week.
