3. The Siren

Once or twice a week, a test siren rings out from Stanlow Oil Refinery. A regular reminder of a vast, hazardous industrial area on their doorsteps. For such a huge petrochemical site, that’s been there so long, accidents are rare. But historic events highlight the danger to workers, people living nearby, and the emergency services who risk their lives to prevent potential disasters.

In this episode we’ll take you to a scene of chaos at Stanlow, as a fire breaks out in one of the industries next door to the refinery, threatening to spread to a tank farm nearby. A violent explosion inside the refinery itself threatens night workers, with the fallout spreading to local villages. And one local resident talks about constant uncertainty in the air..

Writer and Producer - George Powell

Senior Producer – Louise Clarke

Editor – Tara McDermott

Technical Producer – Craig Boardman

Artwork – Ellie Walmsley

Music – Joshua Leary

Black Gold is a Long Form Audio production for BBC Sounds Audio Lab

Commissioning Editor – Khaliq Meer