Tata Steel UK fined after accident at work

Tata Steel UK has been fined a total of GBP 30,000 and ordered to pay GBP 1,696 in costs after two workers narrowly avoided serious injury in an accident at work.

The incident at the firm's Scunthorpe plant saw flames up to three metres in length shooting out from a leaking gas pipe during poorly planned repair work.

Scunthorpe Magistrates' Court heard that one employee suffered minor facial burns and was fortunate not to be engulfed in the blaze.

The court heard that work to repair a small hole in a pipe supplying the central power station at the plant was initially postponed until the next day, but 24 hours later the small leak had widened.

An alternative repair method was suggested using a fabricated metal plate that would be drilled into place and then sealed. However, as a Tata employee attempted to put the first screw in place, the live gas in the pipe ignited, sending a jet of flames shooting from the hole.

It was only after the blaze occurred that the gas supply to the pipe was isolated and turned off.

Tata Steel UK Limited pleaded guilty to two separate breaches of the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002 in connection to the incident.

The first breach, of Regulation 5(1), related to an inadequate and unsuitable risk assessment. The second, of Regulation 6(1), concerned the fact employee safety was compromised because Tata failed to eliminate the risk arising from coke oven gas.

After the hearing HSE inspector John Moran explained that the incident was a serious one and was a very near miss for those involved.

"Thankfully on this occasion a full recovery from the injuries sustained was possible, but it could easily have resulted in a double fatality, and it is a matter of chance that it didn't," he added.

Posted by Alison Spriggs

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