The late Sir Vivian D. Majendie, K.C.B., the then Chief Inspector of Explosives, records in his report that "Messrs. Brock are extremely careful to keep chlorate and non-chlorate mixing departments, and even ingredients in separate buildings Mid under separate control," and while he considered that "some measure of blame is attributable to them in respect of the defects of their system which rendered possible the presence of a cask of chlorate of potash as "saltpetre" in the saltpetre shed," he adds: "It is only fair and proper that I should say that our experience of the manner in which Messrs. Brock conduct their large business generally is extremely satisfactory. This factory is in many respects a model; they have always shown themselves ready to discuss with us and adopt any suggestion tending to increase the safety of the workpeople."
These indications, if such were needed apart from the official prohibition of the use of these two ingredients together, convinced Mr. Arthur Brock that even greater care was necessary in dealing with them. With this object in view, when the works were removed to Sutton, Surrey, the two factories at South Norwood and Harold Wood, Essex, being inadequate to deal with the business, the plan of the new factory was arranged so as entirely to separate that portion of the factory using chlorate of potash from the portion using sulphur. A road running up the factory from the entrance gate divides it into what are virtually two factories, known as the Colour and Bright Sides.
These works, which are easily the largest of the kind in the world, cover an area of nearly 200 acres. They include about 60 magazines, expense magazines, and drying rooms, with a total storage capacity of 1,300,000 lbs. of fireworks and 5 tons of gunpowder; 120 explosive working buildings (mostly double), besides numerous stores, non-explosive working
