Metal Plant Worker Injured By Two Tons Of Steel
(CBS) – A worker at a far north suburban metal plant was seriously hurt Monday afternoon when more than 2 tons of metal fell on him, Libertyville fire officials say.
It happened at the Metalex plant in Libertyville.
Metalex makes expanded metal -- basically, that's metal put into a machine and stretched so that diamond-shaped holes form in the material.
Libertyville Assistant Fire Chief Mike Cloe tells WBBM that about 4,600 pounds of steel slipped and fell onto a worker, trapping his right lower leg.
Cloe says the fire department worked for about 40 minutes to free the employee.
The worker was taken to the hospital with injuries that were not believed to be life-threatening.
Each piece of metal weighs about 200 pounds.
