Tata Steel Fined £1.5m After Contractor’s Death at Port Talbot Plant

Tata Steel has been fined £1.5 million following the death of contractor Justin Day, who was crushed by a moving steel beam at the company’s Port Talbot site in 2019.

Mr Day, 44, from Llansamlet in Swansea, was found slumped in a “hot rolling channel” on 25 September 2019 after returning to an area that had been partially reactivated while he was responding to an oil leak report.

Swansea Crown Court heard that the experienced worker, employed by Mii Engineering, had finished his assigned task and signed off the job before leaving the area. He returned after colleagues informed him of the leak, unaware that the machinery had been made “live” again. As he stepped into the equipment, sensors activated and a large steel beam moved, fatally crushing him.

Judge Geraint Walters said Mr Day appeared to be attempting to communicate with colleagues beneath the machinery and believed it was safe to enter the area. The judge found that Tata Steel’s procedures were not adequately followed, adding that the company had failed to ensure Mr Day was warned about the reactivated system.

The court took into account Tata Steel’s record of 21 previous offences across 12 court appearances since 2011, as well as four victim impact statements from Mr Day’s family.

“No fine I impose today can restore life,” Judge Walters told the court, describing Mr Day as a family man whose loss had left loved ones “bereft”.

Mr Day’s wife, Zoe Day, described her husband as “a great man… a grafter and a gentle giant”, saying the family had been left “absolutely shattered” by his death. She criticised Tata Steel for failing to provide emotional support, saying: “Not even a letter or a phone call… He went to work and never came home.”

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE), which brought the prosecution, said the lengthy investigation had delivered “the right result”.

HSE inspector Gethyn Jones said: “A man got up in the morning, went to work, and never returned home to his family. This case highlights the human cost when safety systems are not properly followed.”

Tata Steel, which pleaded guilty to two health and safety offences, was also ordered to pay £26,318.67 in costs.

A company spokesperson said: “We wish to express again our sincere condolences to Mr Day’s bereaved family, friends and workmates.”