Another incident hits Algoma Steel mill

It’s believed that slag made contact with moisture in the hot iron trough, the company said.

The unfortunate occurrence impacted 12 workers, five of whom were treated at a local hospital. They have since been released.

The incident did not impact the blast furnace recovery project, and a full return to production “remains on track.”

Recall that a structure supporting utilities piping collapsed at Algoma’s coke-making plant on Saturday, Jan. 20. BF operations were stopped at that time, and there have been some issues restarting the furnace.

Algoma provided an update on the situation with its quarterly earnings released on Tuesday, and in its earnings conference call on Wednesday. CEO Michael Garcia said the company expected to be “producing usable hot metal within the next seven days,” with a return to full production expected within the next two weeks.

“The hazards associated with working with molten metal are well known to us and we have comprehensive training and procedures to ensure the safety of our operations,” Garcia said in Friday’s statement.

“Our investigation is ongoing to fully understand what happened. Our first and primary concern is the health and safety of our employees and we are thankful for the rapid and professional response of our first responders,” he added.