Incident management failures at Tata Steel’s Port Talbot plant have led to a £1.5 million fine after a contractor was killed while carrying out maintenance on a conveyor system.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said the company’s “basic” safety failings — including poor isolation procedures and a lack of guarding — directly caused the fatality.
On 25 September 2019, contractor Justin Day was called to repair a hydraulic leak on the conveyor system. While sections of the machine had been isolated, other areas remained live. After entering the conveyor, his presence triggered sensors that activated a moving beam in a live section of the machinery, fatally crushing him. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators found that Tata Steel failed to ensure the conveyor was fully isolated before work resumed, did not adequately guard dangerous moving parts, and lacked effective safety management procedures for ongoing maintenance. The company pleaded guilty to breaching health and safety law and was ordered to pay an additional £26,318 in costs.
HSE inspector Gethyn Jones said the incident highlighted the critical importance of thorough risk assessments, effective isolation, and guarding systems. “Justin Day’s death could so easily have been prevented. Employers must ensure that procedures to protect workers are not only in place but properly understood and followed,” he said.
The Port Talbot site — the UK’s largest steelworks — has seen previous prosecutions for safety breaches, including a £1.4m fine after a worker was crushed by cranes. This latest case underscores the need for stronger incident management and rigorous safety controls in high-risk environments.
