A YOUNG chemist who died after inhaling poisonous gas had concerns about safety at the Newport waste treatment plant where he worked, a court heard.

Park Environmental Services yesterday admitted safety breaches which led to the death of 28-year-old John Lane in July 2001.

Dr Lane was working in the Corporation Road facility when hydrogen sulphide was released from a tank and attacked his respiratory system.

Phillip Marshall, prosecuting for the Health and Safety Executive, told Cardiff crown court a man had also passed out at the site earlier in the day after smelling a similar type of hydrogen sulphide.

And five months earlier, another man had been overcome with hydrogen sulphide fumes. He lost consciousness but recovered.

Mr Marshall said Dr Lane began work at the company at the end of May, after gaining a first in chemistry, and this was his first experience of working in the industry.

On his second day, he started shift work without any formal training and he felt particularly vulnerable when no managers or people with experience were at the site.

"During Mr Lane's short time working at Park Environmental he had real concerns about a number of safety issues."

Mr Marshall said that within the company there was a lack of proper training, a lack of experience and a general lack of safety issues.

Park Environmental Services admitted failure to maintain the tank roof. The lid had corroded due to exposure to chemicals and had not been replaced despite warnings in health and safety reports.

The firm also admitted a failure to maintain the extraction system at the plant and failing to have procedures to evaluate toxic gases released during the waste process Jonathan Harvey, defending, said: "The incident should not have happened and it is a matter of great regret that it did."

Sentencing will take place later in the week.