"The operator was trapped ....and crushed to death"

The unexpected movement of machinery is a hazard that injury and kill many workers annually. Here is a recent incident highlighting the hazard of unexpected movement of machinery.

22-year-old worker has died in an accident at the an aluminium factory in Southern Europe. The operator was trapped in a machine used to move aluminum parts and was crushed to death, without the emergency medical teams being able to do anything.

The company, one of the most important in (name omitted) with a turnover of (XXX) million, ensures that it had training to operate the machine and had the necessary safety elements. He has also sent his condolences to the employee's family and colleagues, and has made a team of psychologists available to those close to him.

The government safety agency has opened an investigation into the causes of the accident in a machine that is "new" and has "all the certifications" .

Unions call for investigation

The local union, which is the majority in the works council, has declined to comment on the accident “out of prudence”, until the internal investigation is completed and “exactly what has happened” is known.

For its part, (local union) has conveyed its "condolences" for this death and, in the absence of more information about the circumstances of the incident, has urged "extreme precautions" and "not skimp" on prevention measures in this type of activity.

In this regard, he has claimed public policies on occupational health and "greater control" by the Administration on the application of prevention tools. Finally, he has demanded a "prompt and exhaustive investigation of the incident and the determination of responsibilities."

We offer our sincere condolences to the worker’s family, friends, and coworkers. Though the news media does not specify what machinery specifically was involved in this tragedy. Readers still can use this incident to make their workplace safer.

Periodic inspection and auditing of workplaces can identify what moving machinery that workers can be either pulled into or come into contact with. We will reach out to our contacts in this country and see if we can learn further information. We will update the post if we learn further information.

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