THE firm that runs Thoresby Colliery has been ordered to pay £300,000 after a Notts employee was crushed to death by falling pipes.
John Harbron, 47, from Wellow, was working underground at the colliery at the time of the fatal incident on July 24, 2009.
He was preparing to unload 40 steel pipes from a rail-borne car, but when he cut plastic bands securing them in place they rolled sideways, fell off the car and landed on top of him.
Yesterday, at Nottingham Crown Court, UK Coal was fined £125,000 and ordered to pay £175,000 costs.
Each pipe was nearly 13 feet long and weighed more than 11 stone. Mr Harbron, who was married with two daughters and two grandchildren, suffered multiple injuries and died at the scene, despite efforts to release him.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found the pipe packs could not sit evenly on the type of car being used and could become unstable on tilted track.
The court heard there had been four reports of the pipe packs being unstable on previous occasions.
Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Peter McGuinness said: "For a significant period before this incident it was well known that pipe packs on this type of car were difficult to transport and unload underground in confined tunnels.
"These difficulties should have raised managers' concerns and initiated a review of the risks, leading to improvements to safety and efficiency. Sadly that did not happen.
"The dangers were not formally communicated to all the drivers and as a result they were exposed to a great but avoidable risk.
"Since the incident the company has changed the design and shape of pipe packs, the design of the packaging and the type of cars used."
Mr Harbron's widow, Sharon Harbron, said: "John was a hardworking, honest and genuine man who loved his family and was always there for us. It should not have taken his death for the problems at the pit to have come to light.
"But now it has we are pleased the company has learned from this so no family has to go through the same as us. Nothing can bring John back, but we can at least say we got justice for him today and we can at last put this behind us."
