Worker killed on job at steel plant in Northwest Indiana

A worker at a Northwest Indiana steel plant was killed on the job last week.

International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150 said the worker was killed in an accident at the Cleveland-Cliffs plant in Burns Harbor, about 50 miles from Chicago near Lake Michigan.

The accident happened on Thursday.

Union officials identified the man who died as Jonathan Stepp, a young father who was operating a pot hauler when he died.

A GoFundMe said Stepp, 28, leaves behind three young children.

He was not an employee of Cleveland-Cliffs, but of Phoenix Services, a contractor that provides services at the Burns Harbor plant, according to a Cleveland-Cliffs spokesperson. Phoenix Services is owned by SunCoke Energy.

Sharon Doyle, manager of investor relations and treasury at SunCoke, issued this statement indicating that the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration is now involved:

"Thursday night, we suffered the tragic loss of one of our employees at our Burns Harbor, Indiana operations. Our hearts are with his family, and we are supporting them and our team during this difficult time. The safety of our employees is our highest priority. We have been in contact with Indiana OSHA and are fully cooperating with the agency, local authorities, and emergency responders to investigate the incident."

Officials have not revealed further details about the accident.