East Midlands

My son Craig worked for a company in Nottingham, which won a tender to demolish a chimney at Carnaud Metal Box factory in Bolton.

His company offered to do it for £8,000.

Other local companies who had worked on the chimney in the past, and were aware of the contents and the dangers of using hot cutting gear, would only carry out the work using cold cutting gear and taking the chimney down from the outside.

Because of the amount of equipment needed, their prices for the job were between £20,000 and £30,000.

At least two company managers of Carnaud Metal Box received an e-mail after Craig and his work mate Paul Wakefield expressed concerns regarding the need for breathing apparatus.

The email warned of the dangers that flammable chemicals could be on the inside of the chimney and advised them to take the structure down using cold cutting gear.

This email was withheld from Craig and Paul, a hot work permit was signed and they were sent back into the chimney still using hot cutting gear.

Craig Whelan - engulfed in a fire ball.

They did not have a chance, there was an explosion and Craig and Paul were engulfed in a fireball.

My son and Paul were sent to their deaths.

We had to wait two years for a court case where the Crown Prosecution charged the three managers with Manslaughter.

After a few days the charges were dropped and the managers pleaded guilty to the lesser offence of breaching Health and Safety legislation.

They received small fines with plenty of time to pay.

In their statement they said they had not had sufficient training.

The judge in the case said the managers had an "overall naivety in their approach to health and safety matters, rather than a deliberate breach of the legislation, with a view to profit".

The Nottingham Company that Craig worked for had not carried out appropriate risk assessments on the contents of the Chimney.

If they had followed health and safety procedures, which by law they should have done, then maybe my son would not have suffered such a terrible death.

Fighting for the truth

This Nottingham company that was contracted to Carnaud Metal Box was given immunity from prosecution in return for being a witness for the Crown.

It is nearly six years since Craig’s death and I am still fighting for the truth.

I have been denied an inquest into my son’s death on the grounds that it would not be in the public’s interest and Craig’s death does not come under the Human Rights Act article two: The Right to Live, as Craig was not killed in custody or prison.

In the years since my son’s death my family and I have been lied to and passed from one government body to another.

We have been promised that press releases would be released regarding my son’s death but they have been withdrawn.

We have been made to feel that we have done something wrong because we want to know the truth.

I feel that the companies who were involved in my son’s death showed little concern for his safety or his life. His life meant nothing to them, money seemed to have more value than life.

I cannot bring Craig back but by speaking out about what happened to Craig then maybe this can protect someone else’s loved ones.

This is why I became a founder member of F.A.C.K. - Families Against Corporate Killers.

We are a group of families that have lost loved ones and want to see an end to employers who put money before lives and the safety of their employees.

F.A.C.K. wants justice for families of people killed at work or by work. We want to stop deaths caused by work.

Below are only a few of the changes we are pushing for:

• Properly resourced and informed investigations of all work related deaths, which treat the family with respect and keep them informed at every stage.

• Positive legal duties on directors for health and safety so they can be held accountable in law and face custodial sentences if found guilty.

For more information on what F.A.C.K. are trying to change you can log onto www.fack.org.uk

If anyone would like to support or join the F.A.C.K. group please don’t hesitate to contact myself Linda Whelan - 07919334793.