As we have mentioned to our Chicago readers in previous posts, the task for the Occupational Health and Safety Administration, or OSHA, is to develop and enforce safety regulations to keep our workplaces safe. It is a big job.
OSHA could not be reached for a comment on an accident as a sheet metal plant that killed a worker. A 59-year-old worker was injured in a workplace accident at Soudan Metals on 319 West 40th Place on the South Side. He was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he died from his injuries.
Little is known about the accident that killed the 59-year-old man. An autopsy was performed which indicated that he died of multiple injuries. The autopsy further reported that his injuries appeared to be accidental. Accidental injuries in a sheet metal plant could include anything from a stack of sheet metal falling onto the worker to getting caught and mangled in machinery.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, sheet metal workers are one of the highest rates of injuries and illnesses for any job in the U.S. The most common injuries include:
- Cuts from sharp metal
- Burns from soldering or welding
- Falls from ladders or scaffolds
- Getting caught in high-speed machinery
OSHA will certainly investigate the accident that killed the South Side factory worker. The 59-year-old’s surviving family members will likely receive survivor’s benefits from the Illinois workers’ compensation program to help compensate them for their loss. Soudan Metals did not release a comment on the fatal accident.
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