A worker was killed in a freak accident whilst apparently asleep in an area he was not supposed to be in at ArcelorMittal SA’s Vanderbijlpark Works over the weekend.

The worker’s name had not yet been released at the time of publication.

In a statement, the company confirmed a contractor employee lost their life  in an incident involving mobile equipment at Slab Yard 6 but gave no further details.

However information received by Vaalweekblad on the fatality indicated a freak accident involving an individual worker who was not supposed to have been where he was after he fell asleep.

Other sources said a crane magnet struck the worker whilst he was asleep in a non-designated area.

An internal investigation is being conducted by ArcelorMittal SA.

The company had also activated its employee support programme for the bereaved family and were in direct contact with them.

“We are committed to understanding the circumstances  that led to this tragic incident and will take all necessary steps to prevent similar occurrences in future” said the statement.