UPDATED: 15.09 "No chance of anyone hearing his cries for help," court hears after dad perished in an industrial oven

No one had realised that dad-of-three Alan Catterall from Murdishaw was inside the oven until smoke started seeping out and the "horrific" circumstances of his death discovered, said Andrew Thomas, QC, prosecuting.

A jury heard that the huge oven had been switched off for an hour after a fault developed.

After it was fixed it was switched on by fitter Mark Francis who was engaged to Mr Catterall's eldest daughter, Sarah, and soon to be married.

Mr Thomas alleges that a catalogue of health and safety flaws led to the tragic death of Runcorn dad Mr Catterall just two days before Christmas 2010.

The victim's employers, Pyranha Mouldings Ltd, of Runcorn are on trial accused of corporate manslaughter.

Two directors, brothers Graham and Peter Mackereth face health and safety offences.

Alongside them at Liverpool Crown Court is Paul Keddie,49, a self-employed electrical engineer, of Regent Street, Llangollen, who designed and installed the electrical control systems for the oven.

They all deny the charges.

At the start of the trial, estimated to last five weeks, Mr Thomas told how the firm manufactures plastic canoes and kayaks.

It was in a new rotational moulding oven for making kayaks, which reaches 280 C, that the accident occurred.

Mr Thomas said: "The design of the oven was such that the moment it was switched on the doors automatically shut and coked with metal pins which dropped into place on the outside.

“Mr Catterall was trapped within the oven. There was no means of escape and no means of raising the alarm.

"The oven is lined with insulation material and on the noisy factory floor there was no chance of anyone hearing his cries for help.

"After a preparation cycle lasting several minutes, the burners were turned on and the oven was raised to operating temperatures.

“The evidence indicates that Mr Catterall made efforts to escape, he had a metal crow bar but it was to no avail.

"He suffered severe burns and died as a result of shock. The first anyone knew about a problem was when smoke started seeping out of the oven."

Mr Thomas told the jury that the defence may suggest Mr Catterall may have committed suicide by deliberately climbing into the oven knowing that his prospective son-in-law was about to switch it on.

He had been under stress and had written to his bosses ten months earlier mentioning work related stress leading to suicidal thoughts.

Mr Thomas told the jurors they could easily dismiss that possibility.

An investigation by Cheshire Police and the Health and Safety Executive found the oven had been designed by Pyranha Mouldings themselves and they were responsible for safety.

Mr Thomas said:"Many serious failings were revealed by the investigation. Serious failings which went right to the top of the company and in particular to its directors.”

The oven, described as the being the height and width of a Ford Transit but one and a half times longer, had two doors but anyone operating the control panel did not have a clear view all the way through the oven. The default position of the doors is to automatically shut to keep the heat in and save on fuel.

Various problems occurred with the oven after its installation including molten plastic leaking from the moulds which would burn and cause acrid fumes to spread throughout the factory.

Graham Mackereth complained about that and was heard to tell Mr Catterall if the problem was not sorted out "I'll have your balls."

It was common practice for workers to go in to scrape up blobs of plastic and staff were fearful of being trapped inside. 

There had been a previous incident when someone was inside when the doors started to close and on another occasion a fitter was working underneath when it was switched on, said Mr Thomas. 

Mr Catterall died after being in the oven for at least 10 minutes when it had been at or approaching its operating temperature after Mark Francis switched on the power after the fault had been fixed.

That meant the automatic doors defaulted to their closed position and he then pressed the buttons for the oven to go into its warm up procedure.

After it was realised there was a problem Mr Catterall's body was found lying inside by the exit door. There was no clear line of sight to those doors from the electrical and computer control panels.

Investigations later found, there was no written procedure of any kind, no manual of operation, no written training record and no warning sign.

The court heard that the company, founded in 1970, moved into their new factory at Premier Point, Runcon in January 2010.

The firm employed about 90 - 100 staff, including the victim's wife, Pearl, who was working there when the tragedy happened, and one of their two daughters.

Peter Mackereth, aged 60, of Iso Vivoid, Llangollen, North Wales, is the firm's technical director who designed the oven and his brother Graham, aged 65, of Dukes Wharf, Preston Brook, Runcorn, is the managing director.

Mr Thomas said that the defendants claim they discharged all relevant duties in respect of safety of their staff and any faults "were the faults of others”.

They say that Alan Catterall and other staff working on his shift that day failed to make simple checks which they say might have avoided this accident.

The case continues.