ArcelorMittal Dofasco fined for production violations

Steelmaker ArcelorMittal Dofasco in Hamilton, Ontario has been fined approximately C $ 300,000 after pleading guilty to two separate workplace incidents since 2018. ArcelorMittal Dofasco was fined C $ 170,000 for a blast furnace malfunction in May 2018 and an additional C $ 120,000 for an incident in December 2018 on a rolling preparation line.

The Labor Department said an incident on May 23 resulted in two workers cleaning a platform outside the blast furnace. The valves on the stove were malfunctioning when workers were sweeping, and gas and dust from the stove entered the workers. Upon examination by an MOL hygienist, workers were found to have inhaled concentrations of carbon monoxide in excess of industry exposure limits. MOL said ArcelorMittal does not comply with regulations requiring employers to take measures to limit workers' exposure to hazardous biological or chemical agents.

The second incident in December 2018 occurred on the rental preparation line. A worker fed flat sheet material into a pair of rollers when he accidentally pressed the rear derailleur and touched the pinch point of the two rollers. Later, investigators find out that on one side of the apparatus there were no fences, which are necessary for security.

Canadian Department Says ArcelorMittal as an Employer Fails to Comply with Safety and Health Laws