A steel manufacturing company has been fined after a worker was crushed by metal pipework.

R Tindall (Fabricators) Ltd of West Point Industrial Estate, Hargreaves Street, Oldham pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. It was fined £70,000 with £5,000 in costs.

Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court heard that Frank Dunne, 53, was operating a side-loader forked lift truck which was carrying a vacuum packed pipe bundle.

While he attempted to load a second bundle weighing 1.5 tonnes, it fell and crushed him. Mr Dunne was found over an hour later by work colleagues, who moved the side-loader as it was still running and discovered his body underneath the pile.

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An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found there was no risk assessment or documented system for moving and stacking pipework or any items around the site.

In addition, the method of packing bundles had changed without being documented and the previous method using a wooden framework was actually more stable. This would have resulted in Mr Dunne not standing in a danger area if this system had continued.

HSE Inspector Mike Lisle said: "There was no risk assessment carried out on this new method of working and no system put in place for the operators to follow. If the company had provided a safe system of work for their employees to follow this tragic incident to Mr Dunne could have been avoided."

(LM/MH)