Poor safety program?

SDI said facing fine in worker death
By Scott Robertson, AMM

Published: Oct 28 2009 5:445PM

PITTSBURGH -- The Indiana Department of Labor reportedly has hit Steel Dynamics Inc. (SDI) with a $240,000 fine in connection with the death of a worker at its Jeffersonville, Ind., galvanizing operations in August.

Shay C. Fanese, Jr., 21, of Peking, Ind., died several days after an Aug. 5 incident in which, while working as a utility operator, he reportedly was overcome by nitrogen inside the hot bridle area of a plant furnace (AMM, Aug. 14).

An incident report obtained by AMM from the Jefferson County (Ind.) coroner's office said a preliminary investigation found there was no evidence that required space entry procedures were followed in the incident.

The Indiana Business Journal reported on the fine Wednesday, saying it was levied for "safety program shortcomings that led to a fatality."

Jeff Bauman, plant manager for the Jeffersonville plant, declined to comment, saying he hadn't yet received any official correspondence in the mail related to a fine but said he had "heard some of those details (are) out there." He couldn't offer any comment on whether SDI planned an appeal.

Sean Keefer, deputy commissioner of the Department of Labor and manager of Indiana's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (IOSHA) consultation division, was quoted in the report as saying the fine against Fort Wayne, Ind.-based SDI, and one of $191,000 against King Systems Corp., Noblesville, Ind., are the largest the department has issued since it fined oil giant BP $320,000 in 2006. King Systems, which makes anesthesia and respiratory care products, was fined "for repeatedly failing to mitigate employees' exposure to dangerous gases."

SDI will have 15 days from official receipt of the fine to accept or contest the violations.

IOSHA couldn't be reached for comment.