A DERBYSHIRE company has been fined £50,000 after an employee was seriously burnt in a dust explosion.

Paul Gothard, 54, was loading aluminium powder into a blender when he was hit by a fireball which set his overalls alight.

Derby Crown Court heard that Mr Gothard suffered burns to his hands, arm and face in the incident at Chromalloy United in Alfreton.

The technology firm admitted breaching three regulations of the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations and was fined and ordered to pay costs of £13,200.

The prosecution followed an investigation into the company, based at Eastwood, by the Health and Safety Executive.

The court heard that the incident happened on October 17, when Mr Gothard, from Selston, Nottingham, was preparing to mix metal treatment powders at the company's factory at Clover Nook Industrial Estate in Alfreton.

While he was loading aluminium powder into the blender, there was a dust explosion and the fireball hit Mr Gothard.

No one from Chromalloy was available to comment.