"We believe that this is the worst accident since 1975 when 11 workers were killed in a steel plant in Scunthorpe," said Ken Penton, head of communications at the Iron and Steel Trades Confederation Union (ISTC). The union has donated £10,000 (US$14,400) to the Port Talbot Blast Appeal.

The explosion occurred when molten iron burst through a wall of the 10-story no. 5 blast furnace. The furnace, the oldest on the site, produced 30,000 tons of steel a week and was due for a refit to extend its life for five years. Corus maintained that the furnace had been operating normally and was not due to have its lining replaced until 2005. The company employs 3,000 workers at the mill, which produces 3 million tons of steel a year.

The deaths bring to nine the number of workers killed at Corus UK plants since the company was formed two years ago. The company was due to be sentenced November 10 at the Cardiff Crown Court for an explosion at the Llanwern plant in September 2000 in which a contract worker fractured his spine. The worker was blown off a ladder when waste from the manufacturing process exploded upon coming into contact with water. Two workers were killed in January, and last April Stephen Prosser died at a plant in South Yorkshire while carrying out work normally done by at least two workers. A verdict of accidental death was returned at the inquest.

The Health and Safety Executive, a government body, has launched an investigation jointly with South Wales police into the latest explosion. Corus UK and the ISTC will conduct their own inquiries. ISTC general secretary Micheal Leahy said, "Our thoughts are with those who have been injured and the family of the person killed in today's tragedy. We shall be working closely with Corus but we shall also be asking them some serious questions to find out why this has happened."

Following another safety-related workplace death, criminal proceedings began November 7 in London against Euromin, a shipping company. Simon Jones, a student working at the firm as a stevedore, was decapitated by the jaws of a crane excavator two hours after starting work at a dockyard in Shoreham harbor, West Sussex. He had not received any health and safety instructions and had not been issued safety equipment.

The company had devised a system to cut down the time Jones had to unload bags of stone and aggregates from a cargo ship by attaching them to chains hanging from the underside of a clam-shaped grab. The jaws of the grab closed when the operating lever got caught in the operator's clothing, killing Jones. Ten weeks before the incident, a manager had ordered staff to weld hooks inside the grab to avoid having to stop work to change the excavator attachment.  
 
 
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