‘Inadequate’ control systems led to 1,700 L solvent spill at Fujifilm UK facility

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INADEQUATE control systems led to 1,700 L of flammable solvent spilling onto the floor of a semiconductor materials facility owned by Fujifilm in Derbyshire, UK last July, TCE can reveal. 

No injuries were reported. However, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) issued an improvement notice to Fujifilm Electronic Materials in August after what it described as “uncontrolled release of ethoxy propanol”. In a freedom of information disclosure to TCE, HSE confirmed that 1,700 L of the flammable solvent were spilled overnight between shifts on 16 and 17 July 2025. The regulator said the spill “remained undetected until the facility reopened” at the start of the morning shift, indicating a prolonged period of uncontrolled release. The area was isolated and cleaned once discovered. It is unclear whether any ethoxy propanol drained into the environment or public sewage system.

HSE added that the spill occurred following routine drum-filling operations, but that “a lack of end-of-shift isolation and poor handover led to the system running overnight, causing the spill”. The improvement notice said the plant had “inadequate supervision and procedural control”. Fujifilm has since complied with the notice. 

The plant in Alfreton is a top-tier site under the Control of Major Accident Hazards Regulations (COMAH) regime, specialising in high-purity chemical formulation for the semiconductor sector. Fujifilm acquired the facility in October 2023.

Last July’s spill was the latest in a series of incidents at the site, which has been issued eight improvement notices since Fujifilm took over control from Entegris. In November 2024, HSE warned that operators had “failed to either eliminate or reduce the risks from the release of dangerous substances”. In the same notice, HSE also said operators had been found to be overfilling a tank of acetone, which can be highly explosive. Fujifilm’s compliance with this notice was confirmed in November 2025. 

Several of the regulator’s concerns, including the ethoxy propanol spill, relate to potential breaches of the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002 (DSEAR). Andy Mackiewicz, a Chartered chemical engineer and director of safety consultancy AMPA Associates, warned that it is increasingly common for non-chemicals businesses to neglect DSEAR assessments even when they use flammable substances. He told TCE: “As a consultant in this area I am getting more referrals for improvement notices for DSEAR than ever before.”

In a statement, Fujifilm said: “This minor spill of ethoxy propanol has been attributed to an inadequate filling system and resulted in no injuries. A thorough investigation has been conducted and we have implemented preventative and corrective actions, which have been communicated to and acknowledged by the HSE following a site inspection. 

“Since completing the acquisition of this UK site in October 2023…we have been actively taking steps to introduce improvements that will provide lasting benefits to the site’s overall safety performance. Most recently as this September, the HSE has expressed encouragement regarding the progress made by Fujifilm on site safety.”