The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health's Cincinnati office learned of the incident this morning through media reports, said Bill Wilkerson, assistant area director of OSHA's Cincinnati office. If OSHA's inspection shows that safety laws were violated, the company could face a fine.
The worker, whose name was not released, suffered burns to 65 to 70 percent of his body at the Oxford State Road facility about 9 a.m. on Monday, said Middletown Fire Capt. Todd Day. The man was performing maintenance when he fell into a condensation pit where water from the steam lines collects; the water was about 135 degrees and four feet deep. The fire captain initially described the workers' injuries as life threatening, but a union representative said that the worker is listed in stable condition and expected to recover.
In the past, OSHA has completed investigations at the coke plant before. Gilgrist said OSHA has “never noticed these kind of pits before when we have been there.” The spokesman from the plan declined to comment on whether or not there were safeguards in place around the pit.
Sources:
Baker, Jennifer. "AK Steel worker in stable condition." Cincinnati.com. 25 Aug. 2009. Web. 26 Aug. 2009.
Heffner, Jessica. "Injured AK worker had burns on most of his body." Dayton Daily News. 26 Aug. 2009. Web. 26 Aug. 2009.
"OSHA to start investigation on AK Steel burnt incident." SteelGuro. 26 Aug. 2009. Web. 26 Aug. 2009.
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