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Man Killed In Work Accident At Indiana Steel Mill

EAST CHICAGO, Ind. (STMW) -- A Valparaiso man died and two other people were injured Wednesday morning in an accident at ArcelorMittal Steel West Indiana Harbor.

Michael Samuelson, 39, died of blunt force trauma near the mill's basic oxygen furnace, the Lake County Coroner's Office said.

The coroner's office said Samuelson was pronounced dead at 7:16 a.m. It ruled the death an accident.

Samuelson was a contract iron worker working out of Iron Workers Local 395 in Merrillville, his wife, Stephanie Samuelson said. The two injured people also were contract workers, according to an ArcelorMittal spokesman.

The injured workers were transported to St. Catherine Hospital in East Chicago. Their conditions were not released by the hospital, but the ArcelorMittal spokesman said their injuries were not thought to be life-threatening.

The incident is being investigated by ArcelorMittal management in conjunction with the United Steelworkers, the ArcelorMittal spokesman said. A person who answered the phone at United Steelworkers Local 1011 in East Chicago said questions regarding the incident should be directed to ArcelorMittal.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the coroner's office also are investigating.

"He was a great husband and a great father. He enjoyed doing motocross with the kids and loved his profession as an iron worker," Stephanie Samuelson said of her husband.

The Samuelsons have three children, ages 15, 11 and 5.

"The ArcelorMittal family extends our deepest sympathy to the family and friends of the deceased and those injured. The health and safety of our employees and contractors remain the number one priority for ArcelorMittal," the company spokesman said in a release.

(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2013. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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