Authorities say criminal charges will not be filed in connection with a fatal incident Tuesday at a south Forsyth steel company.

Capt. Frank Huggins of the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office, which is handling the investigation, described the death of Jeffrey E.Thurman as an accident.

Huggins said Thurman, 53, of Mayfield Drive died Tuesday after being pulled into a coil polisher at A.P. Specialty Metals. Thurman was killed while operating the machine.

Huggins said an employee told him Thurman had worked for the company about four months and “they’re really going to miss him because they really liked him.”

Before coming to AP, Thurman worked for General Motors, Huggins said.

A woman who answered the phone Wednesday at the plant on Grassland Parkway said company representatives would not be making any comments at this time.

Huggins said investigators have contacted the Occupational Safety and Health Administration about the incident, which occurred about 2 p.m.

Forsyth County Fire Capt. Jason Shivers explained that the machine takes flat sheet metal and rolls it onto a coil.

He said the fire department, including its hazardous materials unit, used heavy equipment to take the machine apart and remove Thurman’s body.

Shivers said it is not clear how the man got in the machine.

“To my knowledge it was not witnessed,” Shivers said. “He was found by another employee ... it’s an unfortunate incident.”

Staff Writer Jennifer Sami contributed to this report.