Tata found guilty of toxic gas safety failures at Port Talbot steelworks

Tata has been found guilty of health and safety failures at its Port Talbot steelworks after a jury in Swansea Crown Court convicted the company over a toxic gas release during an emergency procedure. The case centered on the use of a “snort valve,” designed to vent blast furnace gases when equipment fails. Two Tata employees were taken to hospital after the Feb. 14, 2022 incident, where a blower pushing air into blast furnace number four failed again and gases were vented while 15 men worked in the area. Gas monitors showed carbon monoxide levels far above the short-term limit. The court heard Tata did not carry out a proper risk assessment. Sentencing was adjourned, with financial penalties the only option mentioned.