"Aluminum billet fell on worker"

 

The importance of teaching workers to always have an immediate evacuation route if something goes wrong is manytimes overlooked during training. Here is a recent fatal incident that might have been prevented if the worker could have moved quickly when the object fell/toppled over.

According to the information obtained, the incident took place in the foundry section (casthouse department) of the (aluminium) factory in the morning hours. During the work, the worker was seriously injured as a result of the aluminum billet falling on (deceased worker).

Upon notification (local emergency management teams) and police were dispatched to the scene. During the control made by the medical teams, it was determined that ( died at the scene.

The death of (worker’s name omitted), who was learned to have been working in the same factory for 7.5 years, left his colleagues in mourning. An investigation was launched by the gendarmerie teams regarding the incident.

We offer our sincere condolences to the deceased worker’s family, friends, and coworkers. There was a disagreement in reporting of the term “roll”. Which made little to no sense as this incident occurred in a casthouse. Further news media article clarified that roll means “aluminum materials called 'billet', which weigh about a thousand kilograms”.

The lifting of billets is done through various methods involving rings, cables, or clamping devices. Regardless of the device used, each has a failure rate. Which means one or more billets will fall while suspended in the air. Workers must be told that during the lifting of billets they must be 1.5 times the length of the billet away from the suspended load.

We have reached out to our contacts at that plant and will update the post when further information is put forth.

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