On Your Side After An Injury

Workplace accidents: Woman dragged into dough mixer dies

Missouri employees who are exposed to the working parts of machines in the line of duty must receive adequate training about the related dangers. Only when they understand the hazards will workers know how to avoid injuries in workplace accidents. Company owners also have a responsibility to install guards around exposed parts of machines that may cause caught-in or struck-by hazards.

A tragic incident in another state recently claimed the life of a 45-year-old woman. According to reports, she was working in the bakery division of a grocery store when she met her death. Police say the woman was occupied at the industrial-sized dough mixer when she inexplicably got dragged into the large mixing bowl. It is suspected that loose clothing might have been caught by the turning auger, causing the worker to be pulled in.

Another worker reportedly heard the woman’s scream and ran to shut down the power to the mixer. Sadly, she was too late, and the woman suffered fatal injuries. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration will apparently be taking the investigation over from the local police department. If the agency determines that the fatality was caused by safety violations, the company will be cited.

An accident that may have been avoidable has taken this mother away from her 18-year-old son, her step-daughter and other family members. Dependents of Missouri workers who have lost their lives in workplace accidents are entitled to pursue workers’ compensation death benefits claims. Along with covering the costs of end-of-life arrangements, the benefits may include compensation for lost income that is typically based on the most recent wage level of the deceased worker.

Source: wect.com, “Bakery worker killed by industrial mixer”, Feb. 5, 2016