Steel mills are understandably impressive and vital to our state and national economies, but without metal fabricators everything would grind to a halt. The dangerous and essential work of metal fabrication deserves respect, and fabricators must be kept safe from injury while on the job.
Illinois, Indiana Metal Fabrication is Key to U.S. Manufacturing
According to industrial experts, the business of metal fabrication may well be considered to be the “backbone to American manufacturing,” where raw metal is used to provide all sorts of manufacturing components. Fabricator work “…. supports construction sites, factory floors, energy infrastructure, defense systems, and transportation networks across the country.” Read, “Key Facts and Trends in the U.S. Fabricated Metals Industry,” published by Industry Select on January 27, 2026.
Both Illinois and Indiana are major players in the national metal fabrication industry. In Industry Select’s latest numbers, Illinois ranks fourth in the nation for employing workers in fabricating metals; Indiana ranks ninth (FYI: Texas and California rank first and second, respectively). Lots of steelworkers and ironworkers in our part of the country are employed by the big fabricator companies here, like Cadrex Manufacturing Solutions in Romeoville, Illinois; IMS Companies in Des Plaines, Illinois; and Major Tool and Machine, Inc. in Indianapolis, Indiana.
And the industry is growing. The American Iron and Steel Institute reports that last week (week ending April 11, 2026), domestic raw steel production was almost ten percent higher (9.4%) than the same week last year.
Also read: Indiana Remains Top Steel Producer in the Nation: The Deadly Dangers of Steel Production.
What Do Our Local Fabricators Do?
Fabricator companies may be labelled as industrial; structural; or custom. Many fabricating enterprises are involved in manufacturing structural steel; metal plate; or building components (think beams, joists, etc.). However, a significant number of metal fabricator companies focus upon metal products, like tanks; barrels; ladders; etc. and the rest of the fabrication outfits are in the business of providing metal services (like finishing or plating); making small metal components (like screws); or producing metal forgings and stamping (stuff of vehicles, machinery, tools).
The process itself involves workers doing things like casting; cutting; drawing; extrusion; forging; punching; stamping; machining; or welding. Essentially, all these companies hire workers to take raw steel and create a finished component or product.
There will be engineering and shop drawings to read and understand during this process. A bill of materials must be made, and raw materials brought in and made ready for use. Things will have to be cut by industrial gizmos from saws to lasers or even plasma. Brakes and rolls will form things, and stuff will be joined together by things like bolts or welding. There will be assemblies set up and inspected. Products will be finished (think paint, blast). Then comes the packaging and shipping of the end product.
These are busy, hectic, loud worksites. Crews deal with forklifts, cranes, and specialized heavy machinery and equipment alongside power tools as part of their day. Housekeeping and safety monitoring as well as quality checks needs to be a constant presence for any fabricator employee.
Those employed at these fabrication companies may be skilled or unskilled; some may have extensive education and training; others may be newbies who are unskilled and working their first job. No matter the job title or task at hand, anyone at work in a fabrication business in Indiana or Illinois is working in a dangerous environment where there is a constant risk of being seriously hurt or even killed in a devastating worksite accident.
For more, read “Types of Metal Fabrication Processes,” written by Genevieve Mills and published by Thomas Technical Guides on August 20, 2024.
Risk of Severe Injury in Metal Fabricator Work
No matter how big or small the fabrication shop, workers will be faced with risks associated with heavy materials; heavy machinery; heavy equipment; toxic chemicals and hazardous materials; hot processes with thermal and electrocution risks; and specialized motor vehicles moving throughout the worksite at any time.
Safety measures like ventilation controls; fire extinguishers; reasonable and prudent housekeeping of the site; proper repair and maintenance of tools, machinery, and equipment; as well as making sure all workers are wearing PPE (personal protective equipment) that fits are among the many worker protections for all metal fabrication operations in Illinois and Indiana.
These are no mysteries to the employers and those in possession, custody, or control of aspects of the fabrication shop: they are required by law as well as defined by established industrial standards. If these protections fail, then someone may suffer horrific injuries on the job. Some may perish from bodily harm suffered in the fabrication work accident.
Risks include things like:
- Amputations (either traumatic or medically required)
- Blunt Force Trauma
- Burns
- Electrocution Injuries
- Eye Injuries
- Fractures
- Internal Organ Damage (including lungs, kidneys)
- Lacerations
- Scarring and Disfigurement
- Spinal Cord Injuries
- Traumatic Brain Injuries
- Wrongful Death.
For more, read: Amputation Injuries from On-the-Job Work Accidents in Indiana or Illinois; Blunt Trauma Injuries in Industrial Work Accidents; Internal Injuries After an Accident Can Be Silent and Deadly; and Work-Related Traumatic Brain Injury (WR-TBI) Dangers Facing Industrial Workers in Illinois and Indiana.
Fabricator Accident: Workers Hurt on the Job in Metal Fabricating Workplace
For anyone who is hurt on the job at a metal fabricator operation in Illinois or Indiana, then there are both state statutes and federal regulations that provide help to that worker victim and their loved ones in the aftermath of the work accident. Worker’s compensation should be an immediate help, with claims being filed for benefits under the employer’s liability insurance policy.
Independently of the worker’s compensation coverage, the fabricator accident may also be covered by various personal injury laws that define legal responsibility for one or more companies or individuals associated with the worksite and specifically with the circumstances at the time of the incident. Product liability; premises liability; negligent supervision; failures to warn; defective products; and more may apply to the particular case.
This can be determined by legal advocates for the injured worker and accident reconstruction experts who understand the intricacies of the metal fabrication industry. The factual experts may take weeks or months to compile their professional opinions not only on what happened and the causes for the accident, but for things like estimated long-term medical care and rehabilitation needs; lost earning capacity; and more.
Also see:
- 7 Different Parties Who Can Be Liable for Indiana Steel Worker Injury
- Metal Fabricator Accident Risks: Top Dangers in Fabricating Industry
- The Two Main Differences Between Workers Compensation and Personal Injury Claims for Accident Victims in Indiana and Illinois
- 10 Types of Injury Damages That May Be Awarded to Accident Victims
- 10 Types of Workers’ Compensation Benefits After a Work Accident in Illinois or Indiana.
In our upcoming articles, more detail will be given on the protections that workers in metal fabrication here in Illinois and Indiana should expect on the job and the damages available to the injured worker and their family members after a catastrophic metal fabricator work accident. These are dangerous workplaces and sadly, fabricator injuries are often severe and life-altering, the result of a preventable accident. Please be careful out there!
