Corus facing £110,000 bill for breaching safety laws

STEELMAKER Corus has been fined £100,000 and ordered to pay almost £10,000 in costs after the crane a worker was operating overturned.

By The Newsroom

Published 12th Mar 2010, 20:13 BST

Updated 12th Mar 2010, 20:13 BST

The mobile crane was being used at the Aldwarke Steel Works in

Rotherham in September 2008 when it toppled over.

At Sheffield Crown Court yesterday Corus pleaded guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

The 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.

After the hearing, Health and Safety Executive 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."

Rotherham Health and Safety Executive