Duty of Care

On Sunday, September 27, 2026, Jeffrey Smith, 53, of Newell, Pennsylvania, died after being pinned between two door machines at the Cleveland-Cliffs coke plant in Monessen, Westmoreland County.

According to the Westmoreland County Coroner’s Office and local reporting, the incident occurred around 4:15 p.m. First responders tried to save Smith; he was pronounced dead. Monessen Police Chief David Yuhasz said the death appeared accidental and called it "a blow to the community."

Cleveland-Cliffs said it was deeply saddened and that its thoughts were with the employee’s family, friends, and coworkers. The United Steelworkers said its health and safety team was on the ground to assist the investigation. OSHA is investigating.

For manufacturing crews, moving doors, carriages, and machine components create lethal pinch points. Keep clear of travel paths, lock out before entering the bite, replace guards before restart, and stop the line if someone must work between moving equipment.

• CBS Pittsburgh
• Local 12 / WKRC