Widow backs calls for fire safety review at Perth recycling site


The widow of a man who died in an explosion at a recycling centre in Perth is supporting calls for a fire safety review at the site after a fourth blaze in four years. Slawomir Szmeichel died in March 2023 at the former Shore recycling centre. On Tuesday, a fire broke out at the site which closed the nearby Friarton Bridge and brought parts of the city to a standstill. Recycling firm Enva said it is investigating the blaze which is under new ownership.

In addition to the fatal fire in 2023, there were blazes at the site in April 2021 and September 2022. Szmeichel’s widow, Magda Szmeichel, said her husband was a “loving, caring and bubbly” partner and father to their son. But she said she felt left in the dark by the lack of updates on the investigation into his death. She said an update on the firm’s fire safety procedures was urgently needed to ensure no family had to experience what she had been through. 

The latest fire broke out at about 03:00 on Tuesday and forced the closure of the Friarton Bridge, which is directly above the site, for almost ten hours due to smoke from the blaze. Enva said the fire broke out in an exterior storage bay and that the likely cause was a waste battery. The company said the blaze occurred in the reception area for inbound electrical waste. Szmeichel said the impact on the local community could also have been devastating due to the closure of the bridge. 

Mid Scotland and Fife MSP Murdo Fraser has called for a review of safety at the centre. “There is clearly an issue with the fire risk there. As we have seen, the consequences of fires there are horrendous. We also have to ask how appropriate it is to have a centre like this located so close to a major trunk road, given the impact on journeys,” he said

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