Tata Steel has been fined £1.4m after Health & Safety failings led to the death of a maintenance electrician.

The worker was in an inspection cage when it was struck by an overhead crane.

Prior incidents

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found Tata Steel had failed to enforce its own safety procedures despite having experienced two similar incidents.

An investigation found the firm also failed to put in place controls that would have prevented the overhead crane from being operated.

Tata Steel UK Limited pleaded guilty to breaking the Health & Safety at Work etc Act 1974.

It was fined £1.4m and ordered to pay costs of £140,000.

Failings

The HSE said the tragedy would have been avoided if the company had stuck to, and enforced, its own safety procedures.

Tata Steel had failed to take two previous incidents both as a warning sign and to act on safety recommendations.

Serial offending

In 2016 Tata Steel was fined £1.9m after two workers were seriously injured in separate incidents. The penalty was later reduced to £1.5m.

Last year the company landed a £930,000 fine after five workers were exposed to toxic and flammable vapour.