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Health & Safety News Brief
Occupational Health & Safety Information Service
Birmingham steel processor fined £150,000 and costs of £20,000 following fatality
 Birmingham company Clifton Steel Limited was fined £150,000 and costs of £20,000 were awarded to the prosecution at Birmingham Crown Court on Monday 8 May 2006 after pleading guilty to breaches of health and safety legislation.
The case brought by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) follows its investigation into the death of employee Ian Milligan, who was fatally trapped between steel coils on 17 January 2002.
Speaking after the case, HSE investigating inspector Mike Burd said:
"The death of Mr Milligan was the tragic result of a failure to pay full attention to the very risky business of storing and moving steel coils.
In the Midlands especially there are many companies who do this sort of work, and they need to realise that common sense does not provide all the answers.
The safe storage and movement of coils, often weighing many tonnes, should be subject to careful risk assessment, and, where necessary, expert help.
"The HSE publishes an expert guide "Safety in the storage and handling of steel and other metal stock" which offers helpful advice, and which can help to reduce the very real dangers involved. If companies are in any doubt about what to do, they should contact the Health and Safety Executive and we will be happy to help."
Ian Milligan was using a crane to move a steel coil when he died. He was crushed against this coil when a nearby stack of coils moved. This stack of coils had not been set up safely, so that the smallest vibration, perhaps from the operation of the crane, would cause it to slip and move.
Clifton Steel Ltd of Fazeley Street, Birmingham, pleaded guilty to a breach of section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.
Section 2(1), of the Health and Safety At Work Act 1974 states: "It shall be the duty of every employer to ensure, so far as is reasonably practical, the health, safety and welfare at work of all of his employees."
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