A steel producing company has pleaded guilty this month to health and safety breaches after an employee received life-threatening burns as a result of falling feet first into a pit of hot chemicals whilst carrying out a pumping operation. Corus UK Ltd were fined a total of £142,763 at Grimsby Crown Court for failing to comply with the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations SI 1999/3242 and the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations SI 1992/3004.
The incident occurred at Corus' Appleby coke ovens gasholder complex in Scunthorpe, and is the latest in a series of health and safety related accidents involving the company which we have covered in the March 2006 and January 2007 Monthly Bulletins. Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspector Helen Berry stated, "This was a very serious incident which resulted in an employee receiving extensive, life-threatening burns. The immediate cause was the company's poor workplace maintenance regime, which meant that corrosion went unattended in the fencing provided to prevent falls into the interceptor pit. Employers have a duty to make sure their workplace is safely maintained and this case all too clearly demonstrates the potential consequences of failure to do so."
The investigation into the incident showed that Corus had not carried out a risk assessment of the factors which could harm their employees, which is a vital step in making sure workers are protected and the relevant legislation is being complied with.
