A father-of-three died when he fell into a vat of molten iron, a coroner has said.

Steven Dierkes, 39, was taking a sample from the 1,400°C crucible when he tripped and fell in, killing him instantly.

Half his body stayed outside the container, according to a colleague at Caterpillar’s Mapleton Foundry in Illinois.

His family remembered him as a ‘hard-working teddy bear of a man’ who ‘absolutely adored’ his daughters, aged 12, five and four, and partner Jessica Stutter.

No foul play is suspected, according to Coroner Jamie Harwood, who was quoted in the local newspaper serving Steven’s home town of Peoria.

But concerns have been raised over safety at the foundry, where another worker died in December after stepping off a ladder and falling 20 feet through a hole in the floor.

An employee said Steven had ‘only been there for five days’ and did not have sufficient training to be on the iron floor, according to the World Socialist Web Site.

The facility was fined $5,750 by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for a safety violation in 2020 said to have concerned ‘fall protection systems and falling objects’.

This followed fines from the safety watchdog of $4,337 in November 2019, $17,711 in May 2019 and $10,419 in January 2019.

The third fine reportedly resulted from an incident in which a worker’s finger was severed while repairing a broken chain on a conveyor belt system.

Investigations into Steven’s death by the OSHA as well as the sheriff and coroner’s offices are underway.

The OSHA is also investigating the December death of 50-year-old Scott Adams, who was an electrical contractor brought into the plant to install new equipment.

Steven was said to have extensive experience in the manufacturing industry, working in various roles after graduating from welding college.

The statement released for his memorial said: ‘Steven loved the outdoors and all animals. He was a loving person who enjoyed laughter from any source he could find.

‘He was a hard-working teddy bear of a man with calloused hands and a tender heart. He would have done anything for anyone with no expectation of anything in return.

‘He would have given a stranger the shirt from his back even though that may have been his last shirt. Most of all, he was a wonderful loving father to his daughters that he absolutely adored. He will be greatly missed.’

A statement released by Caterpillar in response to Steven’s death said: ‘We are deeply saddened by the death of an employee who was involved in a serious incident at our Mapleton, Illinois, facility on June 2.

‘Our thoughts are with this employee’s family, friends and colleagues. The safety of our employees, contractors and visitors is our top priority.’

The company has been approached for further comment.

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