Hamilton employer, Stelco face probe after worker dies following incident at Nanticoke plant
Published May 19, 2023 at 4:09 pm
A worker who suffered serious burns on the job at Stelco’s site in Nanticoke, Ont., has died, the second workplace tragedy in recent years involving the Hamilton steelmaker after Kirk Moore’s 2022 death.
The victim worked for Hamilton-based John Kenyon Limited, which provides metal wall cladding and metal roofing services.
The victim’s union identified him on its website as Gabriel Cabral, a 32-year-old sheet metal worker.
A GoFundMe page was set up to help Cabral and his family with expenses, surpassing the $30,000 goal by raising nearly $50,000 as of Friday afternoon (May 19).
According to the GoFundMe page, Cabral was involved in the workplace incident through “no fault of his own” on the morning of April 25. He and his coworker were injured and airlifted to the Sunnybrook Hospital burn ward with “severe life-threatening and life-altering burns.”
It’s not clear if the worker, described as “an avid fisherman” with a passion for the outdoors, lived in Hamilton. The funeral is set for May. 24 in Hamilton, according to the obituary posted on legacy.com and published by a local media company on Friday, May 19.
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“Gabriel passed-away after a long hard fight. He was surrounded by his loving family,” according to the obituary.
Ministry issues orders to Hamilton employer, Stelco
The Ministry of Labour was notified of the incident involving John Kenyon Limited workers at Stelco’s Lake Erie Works facility in Nanticoke, Ont., on April 25, according to Anuradha Dhar, the government’s spokesperson.
“It was reported that two workers received burns while working with materials,” Dhar said.
The ministry was notified on May 16 that one of the injured workers had died.
“Our thoughts are with the family, friends and colleagues of this worker,” Dhar said in an emailed statement.
The ministry said that as of May 17, “a total of two orders and four requirements have been issued to the employer, John Kenyon Limited, and one order has been issued to Stelco Inc.”
Dhar said since the ministry’s investigation is ongoing, it “cannot comment further at this time.”
John Kenyon Limited and the union, Sheet Metal Workers & Roofers Local 537, didn’t want to provide any comments about the case. Stelco didn’t return requests for comment.
On its website, John Kenyon Limited described itself as having more than 100 years of experience in the construction industry, with “strict health and safety standards.”
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