CONCERNS over the legitimacy of a staff cutback policy have been dismissed at a mine that sustained a ‘gas blow-out’ which killed an employee.

Former polyhalite production manager, Gary Todd, was made redundant by bosses running ICL UK, in Boulby, after working at the site for 36 years.

Mr Todd received a poor overall score during a safety audit commissioned by the firm known locally as Cleveland Potash Limited.

The ex-manager believed a “subjective” scoring system was engineered to make way for his dismissal from the East Cleveland works that is the world’s first and only polyhalite mine.

An employment tribunal held at Teesside Magistrates’ Court in October was overseen by employment tribunal judge Gerald Johnson who has since stated the Mr Todd’s redundancy was fair.

In a case report published this week, the employment judge said: “The claimant’s complaint of unfair dismissal is not well-founded and is dismissed.”

Staff cutbacks in January saw 11 mining management staff at the site put at risk of redundancy and were subject to a selection process designed to objectively rate their safety records, quality of work and skills.

The employment tribunal heard in October that Mr Todd’s quality of work was marked at just one out of ten during the process.

Dave Williams, a former mine manager at the site, claimed that his ex-colleague had risked the safety of mine workers after Mr Todd switched off a ventilation fan inside the mine without a permit.

During the tribunal, Mr Todd stated the ‘near miss’ incident cause no immediate threat to life and site managers had overlooked decades of dedication.

However, the tribunal report stated: “The tribunal was satisfied that there was no deliberate or dishonest or malicious attempt by [Cleveland Potash Limited] to remove the claimant from his post under the guise of a redundancy dismissal.”

Judge Johnson added: “[Mr Todd’s] view clearly differed from that of those charged with scoring his attitude and performance in the selection process.

“The claimant genuinely believed that he had done nothing wrong, whilst the senior managers, equally genuinely, believed that there were specific examples of his poor attitude and performance.”

An investigation was launched earlier this year at the East Cleveland site when mine worker John Alderson was killed following a ‘gas blow-out’ when he was around 1,000m below ground level.

The 56-year-old grandad-of-11 died during the incident in June.

Cleveland Potash Limited has made no further comment on the tribunal.