Hull Crown Court heard how, on 23 April 2010, Tata Steel employee Thomas Standerline was examining a crane as part of his inspection duties as a maintenance electrician.
However, while carrying out this work, an overhead crane travelled over the cage he was in, trapping and then crushing him. He died instantly.
A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found Tata Steel failed to enforce its own safety procedures, despite having two previous incidents before Standerline’s death.
The investigation also found Tata Steel failed to put in place essential control measures that would have prevented the overhead crane that killed Standerline from even being in operation.
HSE principal inspector Kirsty Storer said: “This tragic loss of life could have been avoided had the company adhered to and enforced its own safety procedures. Despite two previous incidents sharing features with the one which ultimately cost Mr Standerline his life, the company failed both to take these as a warning sign and to act on safety recommendations.”
Tata Steel UK Limited of Millbank, London, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2 and Section 3 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. It was fined £1.4 million with costs of £140,000.
