A COMPANY has been fined tens of thousands of pounds after putting workers in danger during an aircraft hangar fire.

Staff were told to use what turned out to be highly flammable solvents to clean paint off the floor at the Southend Airport hangar.

The hangar was soon engulfed in flames and neighbouring businesses had to be evacuated while dozens of firefighters tackled the blaze.

On Friday Air Livery Ltd, the company responsible, was fined £66,000 and ordered to pay more than £5,000 in costs.

Air Livery Ltd had already admitted breaching health and safety laws at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court.

In August 2017, dozens of firefighters battled for hours to extinguish the potentially explosive blaze in the hangar which is used to spray paint aircraft.

The court heard the fire was caused by workers pouring flammable solvent onto the floor to clean paint residue off it.

The solvent they were using for cleaning caught alight and an unsuccessful attempt was made to put the fire out using buckets of water which simply spread the flames.

Six fire engines were called to the scene and firefighters had to remove a number of chemical containers.

Witnesses reported thick black smoke billowing into the sky as several other businesses in the vicinity were evacuated, although the airport remained open.

The fire service ruled the blaze as accidental but a Health and Safety Executive investigation found fault.

Air Livery Ltd had not carried out an assessment on the floor cleaning process and it had been done this way each year.

Inspectors found the solvent which was being used to clean the floor was highly flammable and used in an uncontrolled manner.

It was also found employees had little knowledge about the flammability of the solvent and firefighting measures.

The hearing took place at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court on Friday.

The company, which is based in Aviation Way, Southend was responsible for breaches of health and safety at work laws and dangerous substances and explosive atmospheres regulations.

HSE inspector Jill Mead said: “This was a serious incident and it is fortunate that nobody was injured as a result of it.

“Those in control of work have a responsibility to devise safe methods of working to provide the necessary information, instruction and training to their workers in the safe system of working.

“Readily available solvents used daily for cleaning paint spraying equipment are extremely flammable and their use should be assessed.”

The hangar, which was left over from the Second World War, was completely destroyed by the fire and had to be demolished in the months following.

Since then, a larger, more modern hangar has since been rebuilt on the same site which can now accommodate larger planes.

The decision attracted a lot of criticism from neighbours who claimed they were left facing constant disruption and sleepless nights but the airport insisted this hangar had been used for aircraft maintenance since the 1960s.

Air Livery did not respond to a request for comment on the fine or breaches.