Developing story
Mill Steel Worker in Birmingham Killed by Steel Coil; OSHA Investigating
Lederiest Antwon Clark, 37, died Tuesday morning at Mill Steel Company in north Birmingham after being struck by a steel coil. OSHA opened a fatality investigation the same afternoon; no citation findings have been issued.
By 411 Press Newsroom2 min read
Developing story — 411 Press will update as the OSHA investigation proceeds.
A worker at Mill Steel Company in north Birmingham died Tuesday morning after being struck by a steel coil at the company's facility on the 100 block of Finley Avenue, according to Birmingham police and local reporting.
The coroner's office identified the worker as Lederiest Antwon Clark, 37, of Bessemer. The cause of death was blunt force trauma. Birmingham police received a call to the facility at approximately 8 a.m. on July 14, 2026, and found Clark unresponsive.
What investigators have said
By Tuesday afternoon, investigators with the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration had arrived at the Mill Steel plant to open a workplace fatality investigation. Birmingham police are conducting a parallel inquiry into the circumstances. No fault determinations have been issued; both investigations are ongoing.
OSHA typically has six months from the date an inspection is opened to issue citations in a fatality investigation.
About Mill Steel Company
Mill Steel Company is a metal distribution company. Its Birmingham facility handles steel coil and related metal products.
The hazard pattern
Struck-by and crushing hazards are a recognized danger in coil handling across metal distribution and steel processing operations. OSHA's materials-handling standards address load stability, weight limits, and worker positioning around coil storage and handling equipment.
Whether those standards were implicated in Tuesday's incident is a question for the OSHA inspection, which has not produced findings.
411 Press has covered similar struck-by fatalities, including a worker killed by an overhead crane spool in Carol Stream, Illinois. More workplace-death coverage is in our industrial accidents section. We will update this story as the investigation develops.
Sources: WBRC — Birmingham police: Employee killed in apparent industrial accident Tuesday morningWBRC — Employee killed in apparent industrial accident in Birmingham identifiedABC3340 — Worker killed at Mill Steel as OSHA launches workplace fatality investigationABC3340 — Identity released after deadly industrial incident at Mill Steel Company in Birmingham
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