Sterecycle guilty of corporate manslaughter over Michael Whinfrey death Michael Whinfrey, 42, was killed in a blast at Sterecycle recycling plant He was working as an autoclave operator at the firm in January 2011 Suffered fatal head injuries when a door to a pressure chamber exploded The waste management company, in Rotherham, is now in administration Investigation found incident was preventable and blasted 'inexcusable neglect A recycling firm which was found guilty of corporate manslaughter over the death of an employee through 'inexcusable neglect' has been fined £500,000. Father-of-three Michael Whinfrey was killed in an explosion at the Sterecycle (Rotherham) Limited recycling plant in January 2011, in what police described as a 'completely avoidable incident.' The 42-year-old was working at the waste management company, which is now in administration, as an autoclave operator. He suffered fatal head injuries when the door to one of the autoclaves - pressure chambers which sterilise equipment - exploded. The force of the blast was so great, it blew a hole in the wall of the factory in Rotherham, South Yorkshire. Michael Whinfrey died in a blast at the Sterecycle recycling plant in Rotherham in January 2011. The company was today found guilty of corporate manslaughter and fined £500,000 Today, the company was found guilty of corporate manslaughter and ordered to pay the fine at Sheffield Crown Court. Welcoming the verdict and sentence, HSE Inspector Carol Downes said: 'This terrible incident was entirely preventable. The clear standards and strict inspection regimes set out in the regulations were totally neglected by the company. Mr Whinfrey's partner of 28 years, Margaret Crofts, said his death had left a 'huge hole' in her life. She said: 'On January 11 my partner of 28 years Michael Whinfrey went to work never to return. Michael, a father to our three children, was a hard working man who loved and cared for all his family and friends. An investigation into the Sterecycle plant, pictured, where Mr Whinfrey worked as an autoclave operator, found the incident was preventable Mr Whinfrey was killed when the door to a pressure chamber exploded. Pictured, the damage after the blast Since this day, there has been a huge hole in all our lives. I have had to cope on a daily basis of not knowing or understanding what actually happened to Michael. With this guilty verdict now in, I know that through the negligence and incompetence of Sterecycle the company, Michael, through no fault of his own, was unlawfully killed. Employees were inadequately trained and felt in genuine fear for their safety at the site. The view was taken that production should be maintained at all costs. Health and Safety Executive Inspector Carol Downes A joint investigation, conducted by South Yorkshire Police and the Health and Safety Executive, found the explosion resulted from the failure of a screw connection to the autoclave locking ring, which secured the door to the machine. The two large autoclaves, or pressure chambers, had refuse placed into them and high temperatures and steam pressure were applied to treat the waste and convert it to a fibrous material that could be used as fertiliser. Another employee sustained serious life-changing injuries in the explosion. Detective Sergeant Rob Platts, who led the investigation for South Yorkshire Police, said: 'I am pleased with the verdict reached today as it recognises the systemic failings of a company who had a duty of care to its employees. The company was aware of a longstanding issue with the autoclave doors and made no effort to repair the problem properly, putting the lives of their employees at risk. 'Because of the company's inexcusable neglect, a man lost his life in a completely avoidable incident. 'After nearly four long years, Mr Whinfrey's family can finally begin to put this painful ordeal behind them and move forward with their lives. They finally have the truth about his death and I hope the verdict reached today brings them some small amount of peace. The force of the blast at the plant was so big it blew off a factory wall , leaving debris in the street outside Mr Whinfrey lost his life due to the company's 'inexcusable neglect' and another employee suffered life-changing injuries HSE Inspector Carol Downes said: 'Sterecycle (Rotherham) Ltd didn't properly understand the risks of, and lacked the competence in, operating steam pressure autoclave systems. Modifications were made to the autoclaves without adequately considering the effect on the equipment. 'Safety devices were removed because they slowed production and when breakdowns occurred 'running repairs' were made without ever getting to the root cause of the problems. This lethal combination all came together in January, resulting in the tragic death of Michael Whinfrey and a colleague receiving life-changing injuries. Other employees and members of the public were also put at risk. This terrible incident was entirely preventable. Sterecycle's former maintenance manager Kevin Goss, 57, of Sheffield, was found not guilty of perverting the course of justice.