SHELBY — ArcelorMittal Tubular Products is facing four repeat violations issued by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration on March 25.
A 60-year-old employee sustained lower arm and wrist injuries in December 2023 after being caught in a pinch point created by a bundle of steel tubes and a rotating roller conveyor in December 2023.
A press release from OSHA says ArcelorMittal Tubular Products USA LLC received citations for similar hazards at its Shelby facility in 2022.
Responding to an employer-reported injury, OSHA investigators determined the company did not guard the conveyor’s pinch points adequately, which led an employee, working as a tube handler, to suffer injuries.
Following its inspection, OSHA issued four repeat violations for inadequate machine guarding, not using required lockout/tagout procedures and failing to train workers on procedures to reduce exposure to operating machine parts. ArcelorMittal Tubular Products USA faces $253,515 in proposed OSHA penalties.
“The inspection of ArcelorMittal Tubular Products was one of nearly 1,700 inspections related to machine hazards and potential amputation injuries in Ohio in the past five years,” said OSHA Area Director Todd Jensen in Toledo, Ohio.
“This was a preventable injury had the company taken appropriate action to prevent workers from contacting moving machine parts, violations for which OSHA cited the company previously. Safety should be a core value of every company.”
An ArcelorMittal representative said the company did not have a comment regarding the employee’s injuries or steps they have taken to promote additional safety.
ArcelorMittal is located at 132 W. Main St. in Shelby. It also operates a manufacturing facility in Marion. It was founded in 1890 building bicycle parts and later growing its portfolio of products.
ArcelorMittal has 15 business days from receipt of the citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
Unless contested, the proposed penalties will become a final order of the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission and may not be reviewed by any court or agency.
Learn more about OSHA, lockout/tagout procedures and the National Emphasis Program on Amputation Hazards.