Almost every job can pose a threat to employees if due diligence is not exercised by both worker and employer. Unfortunately, some occupations are inherently more dangerous, and there are many workers who are exposed to hazards such as a serious industrial accident, not all of which can be prevented. When these types of work-related accidents befall Missouri residents, those affected may have recourse to vital benefits and professionals who can assist them in obtaining them.
Recently, emergency crews were called out to the scene of a tragic accident at a meat-processing plant. According to the preliminary reports, a 62-year-old worker was running a waste auger machine at the facility. For reasons that are unclear, the man walked up the chute that fed waste products into the machinery. Somehow, he got caught up into the grinder mechanism.
Crews were unable to provide life-saving efforts, and the man was declared deceased at the scene. The company issued a general statement expressing its condolences to the worker’s family and fellow employees. It is unclear whether the Occupational Safety and Health Administration will conduct an investigation into this fatal accident, though it is likely that it will do so.
According to the record, this is the second fatal incident at this plant. In 2011, a worker was electrocuted when attempting to operate a fan. This type of tragic industrial accident often results in the surviving family sustaining significant monetary losses in addition to the physical loss of their loved one. In fatal accidents, the victims’ families may qualify for death benefits from their state’s workers’ compensation program. Missouri residents who have suffered a serious work-related injury or illness or whose loved one was killed on the job may seek the assistance of an experienced attorney in an effort to file these claims in an efficient and timely manner.
Source: dispatch.com, “Meat-processing worker killed after falling into waste grinder at Canton plant”, Shane Hoover, Dec. 18, 2017