A HEALTH and safety officer was crushed to death when a 3.5 tonne steel plate pinned him to a moving conveyer belt, an inquest heard.

Robert Powlay, 54, was pinned to metal rollers when the 20ft long, 10ft wide steel sheet rolled over him.

Work colleagues rushed to his aid, but the massive weight of the plate crushed his ribs and internal organs. He died nearly three weeks later in hospital.

The jury inquest, at Middlesbrough Magistrates' Court last Thursday, heard how Mr Powlay worked as a maintenance fitter at the Corus plant at Portrack, Stockton, when the tragedy happened on October 17, 2000.

The day-long hearing was told how Mr Powlay, of Coatham Road, Redcar, was carrying out repair work on a conveyer belt roller when the accident happened. He was taken to Middlesbrough General Hospital. He died on November 6 when he could no longer breathe without 100 per cent oxygen.

The report of an internal investigation, read out in court by the company's health and safety manager, Laurence Brook, revealed Mr Powlay died after he stood between two conveyer belts. As he checked repair work on one of them - work which included manually rotating the rollers - the movement triggered the other one to start up behind him, sending the metal sheet into his back.

Mr Powlay had worked at Smiths Dock for 25 years and at British Steel, now Corus, for 16 years.

After the jury had deliberated for 30 minutes, Coroner Michael Sheffield recorded a verdict of death by accident.

Mr Powlay leaves a wife, Margaret, daughter, Jenny and son, Chris.