U.S. Steel's top executive pledged the company will move "swiftly and decisively" to improve its safety performance after the company had two serious accidents -- including one in Gary -- earlier this month.

An employee -- who hasn't been identified -- was injured July 7 at United States Steel Corp.'s Gary Works complex after a transfer car he was operating fell from a high line. The accident was blamed on a structural failure on a section of the high line -- a series of rail tracks used to deliver materials to Gary's blast furnaces.

A week later, 20 people were injured in an explosion at one of the coke oven batteries at U.S. Steel's Clairton, Pa., coke-making operation.

In a Tuesday conference call, U.S. Steel Chairman and CEO John Surma wished employees and contractors injured in the incidents a speedy recovery and pledged the company would make corrective actions. Surma said the company's key safety measurements showed continuous improvement in the second quarter, but the third quarter, which started earlier this month, hasn't gotten off to a good start.

"We are saddened and deeply troubled by these events," Surma said. "We do not accept excuses like, 'accidents happen' or, 'it's a dangerous job.' It is still our firm belief that zero incidents is achievable."

After the accident, officials shut down three of the four blast furnaces while the incident was being investigated. Surma said production has been restored at those three blast furnaces.

Surma said there's a little more work to do with repairs at Gary Works from the accident and estimated a price tag of at least $10 million.

The Pittsburgh-based company posted a slimmer second-quarter loss of $25 million, or 17 cents per share, in the three months that ended June 30, compared to a loss of $392 million, or $2.92 per diluted share, in the second quarter of 2009.

The company anticipated it would post a third-quarter operating profit, as it did in the second quarter, but didn't reveal whether it would be profitable overall.