Tennessee Investigating Death of Knoxville Steel Mill Worker

The Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating the death of a worker at a Knoxville steel mill.

Knoxville police have said 55-year-old Anthony McDowell was working in a storage area of Gerdau Ameristeel when a pallet overturned on him that was holding about 4,000 pounds of a granular material contained in large bags. Police received a call at about 7:30 p.m. on May 10. McDowell was pronounced dead at the scene.

TOSHA spokesman Chris Cannon tells the Knoxville News Sentinel that the agency’s investigation could take up to 12 weeks to complete.

Gerdau spokeswoman Kim Selph says the company also is conducting an internal investigation.

In 2014, Gerdau was fined $8,400 for an explosion that killed one worker and injured five others.