Lincoln Crown Court was told a catalogue of health and safety failures was uncovered during an investigation after a man was crushed to death.

Hussein Ali Ladha, 57, died in August 1999 at the firm´s Spittlegate Level steel stockholding depot.

He was using a crane operated by a hand-held remote control when he was crushed against a stack of steel.

At the start of the second day of a scheduled two-week trial, the company changed its pleas and admitted three charges of breaching health and safety regulations.

A jury was discharged from reaching verdicts on two more serious charges of failing to ensure the health and safety of employees at Spittlegate Level.

Dominic Grieve, prosecuting, said Mr Ladha was walking between stacks of steel in breach of advice to use only designated walkways.

But the depot was using outdated safety advice because the latest information had not been downloaded from the Corus Intranet site.

Workers at Grantham were continuing to use 1994 advice when this had been altered four years later.

Mr Grieve told the jury: "Health and safety practices at this depot were sloppy."

He said workers used short-cuts and put themselves in danger by walking underneath cranes carrying loads of steel.

Mr Grieve said Corus had not carried out an adequate risk assessment and where risks were identified they were not properly dealt with.

Mr Ladha, of Lymn Court, Grantham, was working alone in Bay Three at the depot. He attached chains at one end of a stack of steel beams and then walked to the opposite end to repeat the manoeuvre. He was walking back between the stacks when the load suddenly moved and crushed him against the stack.

Mr Grieve said Mr Ladha may have pressed the wrong button on the remote control or he could have gripped it by mistake.

Charles Pugh, defending, said the Spittlegate Level depot was one of 40 similar distribution sites operated by the company in the UK. After deficiencies came to light Corus took prompt steps to remedy matters and had co-operated fully with an extensive investigation.

The firm was fined £15,000 and ordered to pay £35,000 costs.

After the case Mr Ladha´s son Shafiq said: "The family are consulting our lawyers to see if we are able to pursue a civil case against Corus UK. We are very disappointed with the outcome of the trial and the amount of the fine, which is really peanuts for them."