Algoma Steel says five workers sent to hospital after casthouse incident

Algoma Steel Group Inc. says five workers were taken to hospital after an incident on Wednesday night at the north casthouse of its blast furnace complex. Steam rises as water is poured over hot steel at Algoma Steel in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., on Wednesday, March 14, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang

Algoma Steel Group Inc. says five workers were taken to hospital after an incident on Wednesday night at the north casthouse of its blast furnace complex.

The company says it believes slag made contact with moisture in the hot iron trough, impacting 12 workers, including five who were treated at Sault Area Hospital and have since been released.

The accident comes after the collapse of a structure supporting utilities piping at Algoma’s coke-making plant last month.

The incident at the coke-making plant resulted in the blast furnace being taken offline.

Algoma says the casthouse incident had no impact on its blast furnace recovery and its return to full production remains on track.

The company is a producer of hot and cold rolled steel sheet and plate products.