Corus fined after mobile crane overturns

Date:

12 March 2010

Release No:

YH/095/10

A worker at one of Europe's biggest manufacturers escaped with only minor injuries after the crane he was operating overturned.

Steelmaker Corus UK Ltd was today fined £100,000 and ordered to pay £9,908.50 costs after it was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) over the incident.

The mobile crane was being used at Aldwarke Steel Works in Rotherham on 4 September 2008 when it overturned.

Sheffield Crown Court heard that although the crane had been fitted with 'safe working load' alarms following concerns over its stability, they were not switched on because the driver had not been trained on using them. When the crane became overloaded no alarms sounded and it overturned.

After the hearing, HSE Inspector Geoff Clark said:

"This is a serious health and safety breach by a company that globally employs tens of thousands of people which could easily have led to people being killed. The operator was extremely lucky to escape with only minor injuries.

"Today's hearing highlights the importance of having an effective system in place for managing health and safety to stop easily avoidable incidents. In this case the measures in place were simply inadequate, in particular, there was a substantial failure to provide enough suitable training."

Corus UK Ltd pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. It is based at 30 Millbank, London, SW1.

Notes to editors

1. Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 states: "It shall be the duty of every employer to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all his employees".

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