Two dead after explosion in Bedford following heat pump drilling in the summer | Ground Engineering

Two people have died following an explosion and a fire on a street in Bedford in south east England, where contractors had struck a pocket of gas while drilling for a heat pump in the summer.

Emergency services were called just after 7.30am on 19 October to reports of a house on fire in Cleat Hill, Bedford, following an explosion.

Paul Swales, 85, died in the explosion. Julia Harris, 84, was taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries and died last Tuesday (29 October), Bedfordshire Police confirmed.

Residents of 50 households were evacuated following the incident.

Bedfordshire Police, Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) are actively investigating the cause of the explosion.

A spokesperson for the Bedfordshire Local Resilience Forum said: “Our thoughts remain with everybody who has been affected by the tragic incident at Cleat Hill and would like to thank everyone for their help and cooperation as we continue our investigation.”

An HSE spokesperson said: “We are supporting the police led investigation, providing technical expertise in connection with the explosion.”

The explosion and subsequent fire happened in the same area of Cleat Hill where a major gas leak occurred in July, during work to install a ground source heat pump.

A separate ongoing investigation is underway into the circumstances of this leak.

The gas leak was reported on 2 July after contractor Nicholls Boreholes and Ground Source drilled a 100m borehole during the installation of a ground source heat pump.

Once the gas leak was detected, a cordon and road closures were put in place by the police, and 13 properties within the cordon were temporarily evacuated.

Residents on Glenrose Avenue, Wagstaffe Close and the immediate surrounding area were encouraged to keep their windows and doors closed.

A spokesperson for Nicholls Boreholes and Ground Source said at the time: "Whilst undertaking the installation of a closed loop ground source heat pump borehole, we have encountered a pocket of naturally occurring gas at approximately 100m below ground level.

“The borehole has been temporarily capped to control the flow of gas whilst we work with the emergency services to permanently close the borehole. In the interim Nicholls Boreholes remain on site in a supporting role."

Work to make the gas leak safe in Cleat Hill was completed on 5 July.

In the wake of the gas explosion and fire in October, Conservative MP for North Bedfordshire, Richard Fuller, has raised questions about the regulations surrounding drilling activities for ground source heat pumps.

Commenting on the incident, he said: “With the push towards renewable energy sources and the phasing out of fossil fuels, such drilling will become more commonplace; however, the regulations surrounding this appear slow to have kept pace with technology.”

Fuller has written to the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero to ask for a meeting to discuss what regulations, permits or notifications are required when drilling to such depths in residential neighbourhoods, and whether the government will consider regulatory changes in light of the explosion in Cleat Hill.

A British Drilling Association (BDA) spokesperson said that it was “deeply saddened by the tragic deaths of Paul Swales and Julia Harris”.

“While we are not able to comment on the specific details about the incident, we extend our heartfelt condolences to their families and friends”.

The spokesperson added: “We support the calls by local MP Richard Fuller for enhanced regulations and control measures in all forms of ground drilling, including water wells, ground investigation, ground source energy and piling. The BDA has long advocated for increased safety and technical standards within the drilling industry.”

It added that the BDA promotes compliance with BS22475 part 2, which outlines the qualification criteria for enterprises and individuals undertaking drilling for geotechnical investigation and testing, and part 3, covering the conformity assessment of enterprises and personnel by third parties, such as the BDA Drillers Audit.

For further guidance, it has recommended the Coal Authority’s publication, “Guidance on Managing the Risks of Hazardous Gases When Drilling or Piling Near Coal – Version 2, 2019”.

The BDA pointed out that this document is specifically for sites underlain by Coal Measures strata. However, much of the guidance is applicable to any sites where natural gases may pose a risk.

Nicholls Boreholes and Ground Source and the Ground Source Heat Pump Association have been contacted for comment.

Want to read more? Subscribe to GE’s enewsletters and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn