Ohio Manufacturer Faces $253,515 in Penalties After Failure to Address Hazards

Ohio Manufacturer Faces $253,515 in Penalties After Failure to Address Hazards

ArcelorMittal Tubular Products USA LLC has a long history of OSHA non-compliance.

  • By Robert Yaniz Jr.
  • Apr 02, 2024

ArcelorMittal Tubular Products USA LLC—a subsidiary of one of North America’s largest steel suppliers—now faces OSHA penalties totaling $253,515 after an incident in which a 60-year-old employee suffered severe injuries at its Shelby, Ohio, facility.

According to a recent release, an employee working as a tube handler in December 2023 became ensnared in a pinch point between a bundle of steel tubes and a rotating roller conveyor, resulting in lower arm and wrist injuries. OSHA investigators found the company failed to guard the conveyor’s pinch points, violating safety protocols previously cited in 2022.

“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,” OSHA Area Director Todd Jensen in Toledo, Ohio, said in a statement. “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.”

OSHA found four repeat violations, including inadequate machine guarding, failure to use required lockout/tagout procedures and failure to train workers on procedures to reduce exposure to operating machine parts. 

OSHA has cited ArcelorMittal Tubular Products USA’s U.S. subsidiaries with 80 violations and investigated seven work-related deaths since 2014. The company announced the sale of its U.S. holdings to Cleveland-Cliffs, a supplier of automotive-grade steel, in 2020.

ArcelorMittal Tubular Products USA LLC—which retains manufacturing facilities in Marion and Shelby, Ohio—has 15 business days to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director, or contest the findings before an independent commission.

About the Author

Robert Yaniz Jr. is the Content Editor of Occupational Health & Safety.

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