US Steel issued a statement regarding an explosion reported yesterday at the company’s Great Lakes Works facility in Ecorse and River Rouge, Michigan.
"Earlier today, there was an incident at US Steel's Great Lakes Works in the facility's Hot Strip Mill. Five employees were transported to local hospitals for treatment. Two remain hospitalized at this time. One employee was treated and released at the plant's on-site medical care facility. Due to privacy laws, we cannot provide any additional information about the employees who were injured or their conditions.”
US Steel said operations at the hot strip mill remain down, but additional operations at Great Lakes Works have not been affected. US Steel does not anticipate any impact on customer shipments as they have additional hot strip mill capacity at other domestic US Steel facilities, if needed.
An investigation into the incident is underway, and the company said it will work closely with the United Steelworkers and relevant government agencies throughout the process.
“No further details regarding the incident are available at this time,” the statement said. “Our thoughts are with our injured employees, their families and their coworkers at Great Lakes Works."