The company which supplied gas to the ICL Plastics factory in Glasgow when it exploded with the loss of nine lives carried out no safety checks on the pipework in the building when it took over the contract from a rival supplier.

Johnston Oils was appointed to supply liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) to the Maryhill factory in 1998, six years prior to the tragedy, which also left more than 30 people injured, the inquiry into the disaster heard yesterday.

A gas leak from corroded pipes has been blamed for the explosion.

Alan Elliot, the company's director, told the inquest at the Community Central Hall in Maryhill that it was not the firm's responsibility to check the pipework that ran from the gas tank into the nearby factory building.

The director said that because the firm was replacing a tank previously supplied by Calor Gas it was not company procedure to assess the site before installation.

The company has since changed its policy.

An employee of Calor Gas had earlier told the inquiry, which is chaired by Lord Gill, that, although it was not the company's responsibility to inspect pipework, it would have routinely done so if taking over a contract from another supplier.

Mr Elliot said: "At no time did ICL ever ask us to come to look at the pipework. I was never made aware of any problems with the pipework at ICL Plastics."

If the company had received a request, he said, it would have carried out a risk assessment and found that the pipes led into a factory basement.

The inquiry heard previously how pipes carrying LPG should not feed into a basement because of the lack of ventilation. "No-one ever raised with me that the pipework was in the basement," Mr Elliot added.

Valerie Stacey, a legal representative for the Health and Safety Executive, asked Mr Elliot: "When you are asked by a customer who already has LPG to change over and for you to become the supplier, then you would do so without knowing what their set up was?"

Mr Elliot replied: "In 1998 that would be the case."

Questioned over current policy, the director responded: "We would carry out a site assessment."

The inquiry earlier heard a written submission from Kenneth Platt, a tank fitter with Calor Gas until he retired in 2000. He said: "If we took over as a supplier, we would check the whole installation, internally and externally by pressure testing. This was to be carried out before the customer formally became a Calor customer. If there was a problem, we would require the pipework to be renewed."

Mr Platt, when asked about the dangers of installing LPG appliances in basements, said: "I have never installed appliances into a basement. I would not have allowed appliances into a basement because LPG is heavier than air and if were to leak it could build up and explode.

"I have refused in the past because it is dangerous. In the codes of practice, it is not allowed."

Also yesterday, a delivery driver who filled the gas tank at the factory said he was "100%" sure that he had done it correctly.

Thomas Dudgeon of Johnston Gas had only been working for the company for a few weeks when he made the delivery on May 10, 2004.

He told the inquiry the gas tank had been filled to 80% of its capacity in line with Johnston Gas policy.

The driver said he had done everything "by the book" as he was new and had recently been shown a video of the dangers of LPG.

The inquiry continues.