Sonae Indústria is present in Canada by its subsidiary Tafisa Canada[2] in Lac-Mégantic, Quebec, since 1995 as an investment of Tableros de Fibras, S.A., later acquired by the Sonae Indústria Group[3] Since 2003, it became the first member of the Composite Panel Association (CPA) and producer of particleboard and thermofused melamine panels whose environmental management system met the requirements of ISO 14001.

[8] They own as well other six plants around the country in Alcanede, Castelo de Paiva, Mangualde, Oliveira do Hospital, Sines and Vilela South Africa operations are based in two locations: Panbult and White River.

[9] Sonae Indústria has presence in Spain via its subsidiaries Tafisa and Tafibra, with plants in Betanzos, Linares, Pontecaldelas, Solsona and Valladolid.

The factory produces wood particle board to meet the criteria of both, BS EN 312, (physical requirements for Particleboard) and also the site Quality Management System, which operates to ISO 9001.

According to figures released by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) Sonae Indústria's UK plant located at Knowsley, Merseyside, was the subject of 22 reports of major accidents between 2000 and 2010.

"[15] In December 2005, Sonae pleaded guilty to three charges brought by Knowsley Council under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and was fined £13,000.

[20] The inquest eventually convened at Bootle Town Hall on 9 July 2013 before Christopher Sumner, the coroner for Sefton, Knowsley, and St Helens.

[21] The inquest heard that the two men, James Bibby, 25, and Thomas Elmer, 27, were both sub-contracted mechanical engineers and fitters and were carrying out maintenance work on a stationary conveyor belt 150 feet (46 m) above ground level at the time of the incident.

[25] On 23 July 2013 the jury returned a narrative verdict saying "The method of local isolation was communicated verbally but was not physically demonstrated to the deceased men.

[30][31][32] Mr. Howarth said: "This latest incident at Sonae serves as yet another example of the fact that this plant is unstable and hazardous to local residents, businesses and those who work there.

I will shortly be calling a joint meeting of the various bodies responsible for monitoring Sonae to pool their experience and seriously consider whether it can be allowed to continue given the risks to the community.

"[33] During a Parliamentary debate about health and safety legislation on 13 June 2011, Mr. Howarth raised the issue with Chris Grayling MP, the Minister of State for the Department for Work and Pensions, and again asked for the plant to be closed down.

The fire resulted in Sonae facing a class action compensation claim from 18,000 people who alleged their health was affected by the toxic emissions from the plant during the 8 days it burned.

Sonae admitted liability, "subject to causation which means each claimant has to show that they suffered personal injury and/or nuisance as a result of the fire."

It proved not very difficult to recruit willing claimants to the group, not least because there was a lot of ill-feeling in the neighbourhood directed towards Sonae, and many people genuinely believed that they must have been harmed in some way.

"[36] An Early Day Motion calling for the permanent closure of the plant was tabled by Knowsley MP George Howarth on 14 June 2011.

[37][38] Another fire on the night of 26 January 2012 led to Howarth calling again for the factory to be closed, saying that "in view of these incidents" the council should "rescind" the company's environmental permit.