Tata Steel has been prosecuted after toxic and flammable substances were released from a steel works site in Scunthorpe.

The firm, which is based in Millbank, London, has pleaded guilty to breaching Sections 2 (1) and 3 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. It has been fined £930,000 with £70,000 in costs.

Hull Crown Court heard how a large quantity of Benzole was released at an open site glass in Scunthorpe on 17 June 2011.

The release resulted in a large flammable vapour cloud that exposed five workers to the risk of serious injury of death had the cloud ignited. Two of the workers were exposed to the chemical and suffered coughing and breathing difficulties. After being sent to hospital, they were discharged the next day.


A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found Tata Steel failed to take the appropriate safety measures to prevent the release of the chemical. In addition, the company was found to have failed to address the risks which had previously been identified and the incident could have been entirely avoided if the company addressed these concerns.

HSE inspector Stephen Hargreaves said: "It was extremely fortunate no one was seriously affected by this incident. Had the flammable vapour cloud ignited this could have resulted in multiple fatalities.

"This incident highlights the need for all duty holders to implement and address all concerns and potential risks which have been identified. Tata's failure to do so in this case put a number of workers at risk of serious harm."

(LM/MH)