Cleveland-Cliffs Steel Corp Middletown Works

An employee was clearing a blocked scrap chute with a spud bar. The piece of stuck scrap came free and fell toward the employee and lacerating the employee's left hand between the thumb and the index finger. The employee was hospitalized.

An employee was operating an electric overhead travelling crane. The crane picked up four slabs of raw steel and travelled to the end of the runway. The end stops halted the crane but allowed the crane cab to contact the landing structure which in turn caused the mounting bolts of the crane to shear. The crane cab fell approximately 40 feet to the ground and the operator sustained a fractured skull, fractured vertebrae, and a laceration to the back of the head.

An employee was inspecting a jam on the high line near the blast furnace when the shuttle that operates on another line moved and struck the employee's left foot. The employee was hospitalized with fractures to their foot.

An employee was operating a machine when a wire pulled his right glove resulting in amputation of the index and middle fingertips.

An employee was grinding chicken when their right index fingertip was caught in the grinder and amputated.

An employee was sharpening peeler blades when their shirt was caught in the grinding wheel. The employee sustained tendon damage and a crushed right hand.

An employee was passing through a large metal door when the door closed on the employee, resulting in a cracked rib.

An employee was preparing to cut lumber on a panel saw when the clamp engaged and caught the employee's left middle finger, resulting in a fingertip amputation.

An employee was riding on the side of a forklift. He stepped off the forklift and was struck by the back end of the forklift as it turned to the right. The forklift's back tire ran over his leg, resulting in an amputation. The employee was hospitalized.

An employee was loading a nozzle, weighing approximately 500 pounds, onto a positioner. The stainless steel nozzle slipped off the positioner and struck the employee's right leg. The employee's right tibia was fractured and their left knee was bruised.

An employee was preparing a hammer and dies for operation. The ram prop was inserted in the hammer to secure the ram. While the employee went to apply grease to the die shim in the hammer, the ram moved downward. The motion dislodged the prop, causing the ram to drop and crush the employee's right hand and forearm. The employee sustained amputations to their hand and arm and was hospitalized.

An employee was doing a tool changeover on a table mill and changing the mandrel. His hands were on both wrenches with his right thumb was between the two wrenches as he worked to unlock the mandrel. The wrenches came together, crushing his thumb. The employee was hospitalized with a partial amputation of the thumb.

An employee was helping to remove tooling that was stuck in a forging press (a full-revolution mechanical power press). The press cycled, resulting in partial amputations to two fingers on his left hand.

An employee was working to deliver mail to an apartment building. She was waiting for a customer to move, to obtain clearance to the mailboxes. The door swung inward and closed on her right little finger. The top half of her finger was surgically amputated.

An employee fell from a step ladder while reaching for a tie-off point. He impacted the ground, and landed on his bolt bag which contained tools. The employee was hospitalized with fractured ribs, and a lacerated spleen and kidney.

On October 30, 2025, an employee was working to adjust a stackable metal shipping container. As the container dropped into place, it caught the employee's hands in an area between the upper and lower cross-members. The employee suffered a laceration to the left ring finger that required stitches, bruising to the right ring finger, and fractures to the right middle finger that necessitated medical amputation of the fingertip.

An employee was moving a scissor lift through a doorway. The employee was pinned between the scissor lift and the doorframe, sustained a back injury, and was hospitalized.

An employee was setting up communication equipment for a meeting. They were walking and tripped over a speaker on the ground. The employee sustained a leg injury.