Indiana Steelmaker Fined Over Worker’s Sinkhole Death

The owner of a northwestern Indiana steel mill has agreed to pay a $7,000 fine over what state inspectors determined was a serious safety violation in a worker’s death.

The inspection began after 62-year-old Robert Watts of Westville fell into scalding water in an 8 foot-deep sinkhole Feb. 8 at the ArcelorMittal Indiana Harbor mill in East Chicago. He died March 20 at a Chicago hospital.

The Indiana Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited the company for not putting railings around the 11 feet-by-9 feet hole or having someone monitoring the area. The Times of Munster and the Post-Tribune report Watts and another worker were repairing a pump when he fell.

The safety agency says ArcelorMittal corrected the violation during an inspection.