A joint police and Health & Safety Executive (HSE) investigation has been launched after two maintenance sub-contractors died while working at Sonae’s Knowsley plant yesterday.
Merseyside Police said emergency services were called at about 3.45pm to the chipboard factory in Moss Lane after two men had been reported injured. The men were later declared dead at the scene. The area has been cordoned off, the factory closed and inquiries into the incident are under way.
A multi-agency meeting involving emergency services and the HSE was due to take place at 10am today.
A report in the Liverpool Daily Post said the incident was believed to involve machinery.
A Sonae spokesperson said it could only make a limited comment as the investigation was under way but said the loss of life was a tragedy and the company was devastated.
“We can confirm the loss of two lives at the Knowsley site,” the spokesperson said.
“They were two external contractors working on a planned maintenance shutdown. The site operations are suspended at present while a police and health and safety investigation takes place.
“We have communicated the situation to all our customers and suppliers and we will keep people updated as the investigation develops.”
