Safety bulletin 003 Coke plant worker dies when pinned between two door machines
A Cleveland-Cliffs employee died at about 4.15 pm on Sunday 27 September 2026 after being pinned between two door machines at the company’s coke plant in Monessen, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, CBS Pittsburgh reported. First responders could not save the worker. Police said the death appears accidental. Cleveland-Cliffs is investigating, and the United Steelworkers union is assisting.
Published Source: CBS Pittsburgh
Illustration
Illustration of a rail-mounted machine beside a coke oven battery, the kind of plant where door machines travel along the ovens.
What happened?
The incident happened at about 4.15 pm on Sunday 27 September 2026 at the Cleveland-Cliffs coke plant in Monessen, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. The timing comes from a press release by the county coroner’s office.1
A worker was pinned between two door machines at the plant. First responders reached the site soon after and tried to save the worker, but could not, according to the Monessen police chief.1
Cleveland-Cliffs, which owns the plant, said the worker was one of its employees.1
What is known about the cause?
The report does not say what work was under way, or how the worker came to be between the two machines. The Monessen police chief said the death appears to be accidental, and could not recall the last incident at the facility.1
The cause has not yet been determined. Cleveland-Cliffs said it is investigating, and the United Steelworkers union said its health and safety team was at the plant to help with the investigation. The report does not say whether a regulator is investigating.1
What does the source recommend?
The CBS Pittsburgh report gives no recommendations, and no regulator’s findings had been published when this bulletin was written.1
Questions about this incident
Short answers, drawn from the source. The full source is linked below.
Was anyone hurt?
One worker, a Cleveland-Cliffs employee, died after being pinned between two door machines. The report mentions no other injuries.1
What caused the incident?
It had not been determined when the report was published. Police said the death appears to be accidental. Cleveland-Cliffs is investigating, with help from the United Steelworkers union.1
What is a door machine?
At a coke plant, a door machine is a large machine that runs on rails along a battery of coke ovens. It removes and refits the oven doors when each oven is emptied.
This bulletin summarises the source above in our own words. Details are as reported when it was published, and the investigation may since have found more. Spotted an error? Email contact@bigmate.com.au and we will correct it.
