Nucor Steel and a New Orleans-based contractor have been fined more than $27,400 combined over "serious" safety violations in the death of a New Orleans man last November at Nucor’s iron plant in St. James Parish, a federal watchdog says.
Donald Mesman Jr., 52, was hit and killed with "multiple blunt force injuries" about 5:45 p.m. Nov. 3, when a section of a metal chute being worked on in connection with demolition work at the Mississippi River complex slipped and fell on him.
At the time of the accident, state, federal and Nucor officials did not disclose or know the cause of Mesman's death, but the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration recently published investigative summaries in connection with the agency's citation and fining of the two companies.
Buck Kreihs Commercial, Industrial and Marine Repair was the New Orleans company that was cited and fined in addition to Nucor.
Mesman, a Nucor employee for four years, was performing liaison work with a demolition contractor. At the time of the accident, he was watching contractors work on the chute when it fell on him, one of the OSHA investigative summaries says.
While the investigation remains open, an OSHA spokeswoman said on Friday, she is unable to describe the role of Buck Kreihs played in the demolition work at Nucor.
Buck Kreihs offers large-scale industrial fabrication and repairs among its portfolio of services, work that can involve lifting or suspending heavy pieces of equipment, according to the company website.
The "serious" violations leveled against Nucor and Buck Kreihs are in the upper middle of OSHA's range of possible violations.
A serious violation constitutes an instance when, according to the agency, a hazard exists that "could cause an accident or illness that would most likely result in death or serious physical harm."
The $16,131 fine brought against Nucor is the maximum penalty for a serious violation, an agency table shows. Buck Kreihs received an $11,292 fine for its serious violation.
The specific violations against Nucor and Buck Kreihs fall under rules that regulate the handling of equipment and materials hoisted or suspended by chains or other equipment, according to OSHA.
The agency cited Buck Kreihs for failing to keep employees clear of suspended loads, an investigative summary says: while standing near the metal chute, “employee(s) were not protected from ‘struck-by’ and/or ‘crush-by’ hazards while working around and/or near a metal bin chute section being lifted and removed.”
Five people were exposed to the circumstances leading to the violation against Buck Kreihs, the summary says.
The specific violations against Nucor and Buck Kreihs fall under rules that regulate the handling of equipment and materials hoisted or suspended by chains or other equipment, according to OSHA.
Based on an OSHA online search database, the serious violation for Mesman's death is Nucor's first from the agency for the plant since it went online in 2014.
Nucor Steel shut the plant for four hours on Nov. 9 to remember Mesman, company officials said last year.
The $750 million direct reduced iron plant near Convent employs about 250 people and is billed by Nucor as the largest of its kind in the world and the first to operate in the country since 2009.
The facility uses high temperatures and natural gas to purify iron ore into almost 3 million tons per year of pure iron metal for later steel production, state permit records say.
The fines and violations were issued against Nucor and Buck Kreihs on May 2. Chauntra Rideaux, an OSHA spokeswoman, said on Friday the investigations against the companies are "still open."
Katherine Miller, a Nucor spokeswoman, did not respond to an email for comment on Thursday by deadline midday Friday.
A manager with Buck Kreihs referred questions on Friday afternoon to the company’s attorney, who was not immediately available.
Editor's Note: This story was updated at 3:20 p.m. Friday, June 14, 2024, with information about Buck Kreihs being fined in connection with the death of a Nucor Steel worker.