A routine shift at U.S. Steel’s Granite City cold mill turned tragic early Saturday when a 62-year-old worker was fatally electrocuted, according to county officials. Emergency crews rushed in and tried life-saving measures, but the worker was later pronounced dead, rattling union members and prompting a formal investigation by company and local authorities.
Coroner's initial findings
Madison County coroner Nicholas Novacich identified the victim as Mitcheal Nelson, 62, of Bridgeton, Missouri, and listed the preliminary cause of death as electrocution. Novacich said Nelson was attempting to shut off a malfunctioning transformer at the cold plant when he was electrocuted, and that he was pronounced dead at 6:20 a.m. The coroner’s office plans to determine a final cause after toxicology testing is complete, according to KSDK.
Union and company respond
United Steelworkers Local 1899 President Craig McKey described the incident as electrical in nature and said the international union has sent in its response team to support Nelson’s family and his coworkers. U.S. Steel confirmed the fatality in a statement, saying, “There are no words that can capture the grief we feel for our colleague, their family, friends and coworkers,” and pledged to work with investigators. Both the union and the company said no other employees were injured, according to the Labor Tribune.
Investigation and plant context
Madison County officials said investigators are continuing their work, and the coroner will wait for toxicology results before listing a final cause of death, as reported by KSDK. Earlier this year, U.S. Steel announced it had restarted a blast furnace at its Granite City facility as the company ramped up operations. Federal records show that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has conducted inspections at Granite City Works in recent years, highlighting that workplace safety has been an ongoing focus at the site; see government records from OSHA.
What happens next
Local authorities, U.S. Steel and the union say they are cooperating fully with official inquiries and providing support to affected workers and family members. The coroner’s office has not given a timeline for when toxicology results will be available, and officials are asking for privacy for those involved while the investigation continues.
