Fatal workplace accident sparks OSHA investigation

On Behalf of | Jun 9, 2014 | Workplace Accidents |

The government has a role in many areas of our day-to-day lives, sometimes in unexpected ways. For example, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration works to ensure that workers are safe in their everyday lives. However, despite these efforts, a workplace accident is still possible. Because of this, Illinois and other states require employers to provide workers’ compensation insurance coverage for their employers. The family of a one deceased out-of-state man will likely be in need of these benefits after he was killed at work.

The accident happened at approximately 1 a.m. Police indicate that they arrived on the scene after a report that a man had lost his leg in an accident. He had reportedly come into contact with a piece of industrial equipment. Witnesses say that he died from blood loss at the scene of the accident.

Representatives for the company state that they are cooperating with investigators from OSHA. The agency will attempt to determine what caused the accident and if any safety or health standards were violated leading up to it. Records indicate that the company was recently fined $24,000 by OSHA after a routine inspection, but it is unclear if similar violations may have led to this accident.

As his family copes with the emotional ramifications of the unexpected death of their loved one, they are likely also realizing the financial implications of his death. For example, they will have to shoulder the burden of funeral and burial expenses, all while dealing with the loss of the man’s income. Because he died in a workplace accident, his workers’ compensation benefits likely extend to his family members to help alleviate these burdens. Some people in Illinois have sought guidance through the sometimes complicated claims process in order to ensure they were fully and accurately compensated.

Source: Great Falls Tribune, “OSHA investigating fatal grain mill accident”, Eric Dietrich, June 6, 2014

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