Daver Steels Ltd has been fined £62,000 and ordered to pay £38,000 in costs after pleading guilty to breaching a health and safety ruling which resulted in the death of a worker on 6 December 2012.

Robert Ismay, father of three, was killed after being crushed by three tonnes of 7.5 metre steel tubes which fell off his delivery truck, after a trained but inexperienced forklift operator attempted to offload the delivery.

A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found that the Sheffield Company:


- Had not assessed the risks involved with loading and unloading so had no safe system of work in place.

- Had not provided instructions or sufficient training to staff.

- Failed to provide direction to workers, leaving them to develop their own practices including choosing how they offloaded, what equipment to use and where offloading took place.

Daver Steels Ltd pleaded guilty after admitting breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

HSE Inspector Chris Gallagher said: "Unfortunately, this type of incident is not unique or new. What happened to Robert Ismay was a tragedy that has had devastating consequences for his wife, children and wider family."

"There was a series of safety failings by Daver Steels in this case. Key was its failure to put in place adequate control measures, which includes the provision of suitable instructions to employees and visiting workers so such tasks could be completed safely."

(LM/MH)