Hamilton’s premiere steel manufacturer will be in court next month in connection with a workplace fatality early last year that prompted safety improvements at the company.
Stelco Inc. is facing five provincial health and safety charges linked to the death of 66-year-old Kirk Moore, who was working on a conveyor belt in the coal handling area when he was killed in January 2022.
The charges, laid by Ontario’s Ministry of Labour in January, targeted failures in following two procedures related to mining regulations, and three Occupational Health and Safety Act protocols.
United Steelworkers Local 1005 president Ron Wells says proper guarding was identified as an issue when Moore went to check on equipment on the date in question.
“So it was a conveyor system and it was rather long … I’m guessing 400, 500 feet long,” Wells explained.
“It brought coke, coal up from the ground up to the top of the battery … so it was probably like five or six storeys high.”
The ministry told Global News the company is now in compliance with orders and requirements issued following the 2022 incident.
Wells says some of those changes were to guardrails and barriers and recommended by the union.
Moore worked at Stelco for over 43 years, moving around to different jobs and departments during that period, according to Wells.
“But I think the last 20 years or so, he worked in the coke ovens,” he said. “He was well-liked by his coworkers and respected by his supervisors.”
Moore’s death is the first at the Hamilton steelmaker in some 18 years
The union boss says workers and family members he’s been in contact with are seeking not just closure through the courts but a change in health and safety culture at plants like Stelco.
“That’s why we kind of feel more … surprise inspections would probably keep everyone on their toes … that might be a good way to start,” Wells suggested.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Labour says next steps are proceedings June 20th at the Ontario Court of Justice in Hamilton.
Global News reached out to a spokesperson at Stelco for comment, but did not receive a reply before publication.
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