ArcelorMittal Dofasco has been fined $60,000 after a worker lost consciousness from gas fumes at the Burlington Street East plant.

The incident happened when a crew of workers were cleaning blast furnace #3 on Feb. 20, 2014, the Ministry of Labour said in a media release Friday.

The crew was cleaning Dustcatcher #3 using water blasted at high pressure through rods, the release said. The material did not break up and fall down into the bin as expected, and that caused a blockage.

One worker opened the side door, known as "the onion," and poked at the blockage with a shovel. The shovel broke through the blockage and gas was released.

Temporarily overcome, the worker lost consciousness. The province classifies that as a "critical injury."

Provincial regulation 833 says that every employer must take "all measures reasonably necessary" to protect workers from exposure to hazardous biological or chemical agents.

The incident also violated the Occupational Health and Safety Act, the province found.

"ArcelorMittal Dofasco failed to take all measures reasonably necessary in the circumstances to protect the stricken worker from exposure to the gas," the media release reads.

Justice of the Peace Jerry Woloschuk issued the fine in Hamilton court on Sept. 21.

The company will also pay a 25 per cent victim fine surcharge to go to a special government fund to help victims of crime.