SSAB has paused construction of its steel plant in Luleå until further notice after low levels of hydrogen cyanide were detected at the worksite.
According to SSAB the levels are below the short-term exposure limit and the pause is a precautionary measure. Construction resumed at the end of May after a two-month shutdown earlier in the spring.
During the earlier shutdown more than 30 workers fell ill with symptoms including nausea, nosebleeds and headaches. SSAB attributed the cases to fine dust, weather and seasonal viruses.
The latest pause was announced the day after Dagens Nyheter reported that the County Administrative Board of Norrbotten did not accept the company’s explanation. Unit manager Sabina Hoppe said the authority lacked a clear thread in the analyses and will now conduct its own measurements near the site.
