HSE press release E241:03 - 2 December 2003

CORUS FINED £150,000 AFTER STEELWORKS TRAIN FATALITY

Corus UK Ltd were fined £150,000 and £50,000 costs at Grimsby Crown Court. The company pleaded guilty to a breach of Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 for failing to maintain their railway system, following a fatal derailment in 2000.

Locomotive driver, Michael McGovern, was killed on 15 Sept 2000 when the train he was driving at the Corus steelworks in Scunthorpe derailed. The locomotive was propelling another vehicle that derailed at a set of points and reared up against the front of the locomotive.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) revealed poor maintenance of the wagon wheels, points and signaling system.

HSE inspector Dave Bradley, the investigating inspector, said:

"This incident demonstrated the dangers of relying on reactive maintenance when dealing with plant and machinery. Workplace transport is the second biggest cause of fatal accidents in British workplaces, killing around a hundred and injuring thousands of people every year. The vast majority of these accidents are preventable."

"'Our investigation concluded that the company's system of inspection, maintenance and repair was deficient. There were faults with the vehicle involved, intermittent faults in the points mechanism, as well as defects in the track and signals."

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