I have been told that Terry suffered 2nd and 3rd degree burns from the molten iron that splashed out of the ladle. His face, neck, back, arm, ankle and foot were burned. He is under going skin grafts and may have to have reconstructive surgery on his ear. I have also been told that he has 14 iv's in him.
Terry is a big, personable and good looking guy who was introduced to me by a former general superintendent of the Blast Furnaces years ago. The gentleman who introduced us had a sign on his office door that read CEO Blast Furnaces. Needless to say Terry is a smart and experienced operator.
At the time of his accident Terry was doing the job of two men, engine operator and brakeman/switchman. Up until a year or so ago this had been a two man job. An operator/engineer in the cab of the engine and a brakeman/switchman on the track. Due to the pressure of global competition and the ensuing job elimination this had become a one man job with the operator performing both functions by using a remote radio control. Yes, one man moving 250 ton ladles of molten iron around with a railroad engine by himself. If you have ever seen railroad cars coupled or switched you may have some idea of what I'm writing about and I'm writing about railroad cars containing liquid molten iron not dead weight.
There are other aspects of this accident that are not good either. Like why it took these here today gone tomorrow security guards 28 minutes to get an ambulance to the scene of the accident? Why the engine maintenance contractor had not performed due diligence on the engines mechanical systems? Why management hadn't listened to the warnings from the union?
This is the human cost of globalization. Good competent Steelworkers like Terry getting hurt or worse in the name of global competition and free trade.
Tom Lehman