man falls into molten steel
The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) broke the news Wednesday, revealing it was only the 39-year-old's ninth day on the job. Caterpillar workers: Wed like to hear from you. Caterpillar spokeswoman Lisa Miller released the following statement to The Sun: We are deeply saddened by the death of an employee who was involved in a serious incident at our Mapleton, Illinois, facility on June 2. Dierkes was only on the ninth day of his new job when he died. At 10:00 a.m. on July 25, 2017, an employee was working in the iron foundry of a manufacturer of construction equipment. OSHA said in a news release Wednesday that the death of the 39-year-old employee happened on June 2 at a Caterpillar foundry in central Illinois, which produces cast iron engine components. Federal safety regulations require employers to install guardrails and restraint systems to protect workers from falls into dangerous equipment like Dierkes suffered. Side-effects may include nausea, diarrhea, high blood pressure, abdominal pain, mood disorders, and death. The facility ships an average of 150,000 tons of finished product each year.. The five injured employees were standing around the pit, Cambria County . They proposed a fine of $145,027 for foundry operator Caterpillar. These components are the foundation for the companys 115-6,600hp (86- 4,920 kW) engine platforms, the company adds. Mr. Thompson, 55, saw the ladle drop and tried to run, but the molten metal caught up with him. "We implore employers to review the agency specific regulations to protect workers from falls into equipment in industrial settings.". A Caterpillar spokesperson told The Associated Press the company "will continue to engage with OSHA to seek an appropriate resolution to its review.". It added that he would have done anything for anyone with no expectation of anything in return. An investigation by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) as well as the sheriff and coroners offices is presently underway. Fill out the form below to share your experience about any workplace or safety issues at your facility. I dont know what time it happened but by 10:20 a.m. the entire facility was sent home, the worker said. Part of his body remained on the deck for the coroner to retrieve. He lost more than one million yuan (equivalent to 152,000 US dollars) on the stock exchange, the police said in a statement. . Watch David Norths remarks commemorating 25 years of the World Socialist Web Site and donate today. An OSHA investigation found "the foundry routinely exposed employees to unprotected fall hazards" while they worked within 4 feet of containers of molten iron. Full details have not been released by OSHA for either case. "Caterpillar's failure to meet its legal responsibilities to ensure the safety and health of workers leaves this worker's family, friends and co-workers to grieve needlessly," said OSHA Area Director Christine Zortman in Peoria, Illinois. The fatal accident occurred at a meat processing plant when 41-year-old cleaner Hugo Avalos Chanon fell into a running meat blender while cleaning it. A veteran Caterpillar worker, who wishes to remain anonymous, told theWorld Socialist Web Site(WSWS), that Dierkes was taking a sample of iron for the met lab and apparently just tripped.. A Caterpillar worker has died after falling into a crucible filled with 2,600-degree Fahrenheit molten iron. Another employee claimed on social media that Dierkes had only been there for five days and didnt have sufficient training to be on the iron floor, according to WSWS. A representative from the Bartonville Police Department said . Investigators say if safety guards were installed, if might have prevented the accident. Steve Mitchell, the UAWs safety chairman for the plant, admitted to a panel of investigators that the company fired workers who reported safety issues, while fecklessly stating, Im not here to speak badly about Caterpillar., In recent years at my local, Mitchell stated then, weve filed 53 11(c) complaints [whistleblower complaints under the section 11(c) of the OSHA act of 1970], and we havent had one complaint thats come in our favor. He added that people who made these complaints were disciplined or discharged and they expressed to [him] that they wish theyd never reported their injuries, and thats a sad state of affairs when you consider that your worst day at work of getting hurt just got made worse by potentially losing your job., Mitchell detailed horrific stories of workers who got fired as well. The worker was "immediately. The UAW has done nothing to stop the increasing safety hazards happening, as the repeat violations and injuries at the facility reveal. An Illinois man died instantly after tripping and partially falling into a vat of molten iron. Our thoughts are with this employees family, friends and colleagues. "Producing more than 150,000 tons each year, Caterpillar's foundry is one of the nation's largest and they should be acutely aware of industry regulations to protect workers using smelters and other dangerous equipment.". Scott M. Adams' identity was . The incident happened on Thursday, June 2, at Caterpillar's facility in Mapleton in Central Illinois, Peoria County coroner Jamie Harwood said. According to his obituary, Dierkes is survived by his partner Jessica Sutter and their three daughters. "Producing more than 150,000 tons each year, Caterpillar's foundry is one of the nation's largest and they should be acutely aware of industry regulations to protect workers using smelters and other dangerous equipment.". IRVING, Texas A Caterpillar Inc. employee is dead after he fell into a pot full of molten iron heated to more than 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit. The throat mucus layer had been completely burned off, and the muscle was cooked or damaged to the depth of about 1 cm, they report. On Dec. 17, 1997, while working at Steel Dynamics in Butler, Miller fell into a 5-foot-deep vat of 950-degree zinc. The safety of our employees, contractors and visitors is our top priority.. All comments will be published anonymously. Our thoughts are with this employees family, friends and colleagues. The Midvale Steel Company manufactured steel parts for the railroad and the armaments industries. PHOTO | FAMILY ALBUM. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. It was really tough to sit there and hand the guy Kleenexes in my office as he cried, and he talked about, What am I going to do now? 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. I say that because local media are little more than advertising for Caterpillar.. Caterpillars production demands almost invariably lead to accidents due to rushing.. The safety of our employees, contractors and visitors is our top priority.. A father-of-three died when he fell into a vat of molten iron, a coroner has said. Steven Dierkes, of Peoria, Illinois, was. Dierkes' death was the second to occur at the Mapleton foundry in six months. It didnt go away, but the work being done by UAW-represented people did. FAQ - New Privacy Policy, Check out what's clicking on FoxBusiness.com. Caterpillar workers: We want to hear from you. A 39-year-old Caterpillar worker, Steven Dierkes, died instantly last Thursday after falling into a molten iron crucible at the company's Mapleton, Illinois foundry. Part of his body remained on the deck for the coroner to retrieve. Part of his body remained on the deck for the coroner to retrieve. A 39-year-old worker tragically died after falling into a vat of molten iron which was almost 1,500C. This story has been shared 106,884 times. In November 2019, OSHA fined Caterpillar $4,337 for a serious health and safety violation at the Mapleton facility. Steve Dierkes, a 39-year-old employee and melting specialist at a Caterpillar foundry which produces cast iron engine components in Mapleton, Illinois, was "immediately incinerated" after falling into the huge tub of molten iron that was heated to approximately twice the temperature of volcanic lava on June 2 earlier this year. The horrific death of the employee has raised questions over safety and health violations at the factory among workers and locals. That job was sent out to a contractor and they continued to do that very same job in that very same spot on the floor, with the very same equipment that our people did., Caterpillar outsourced work in order to reduce workers compensation payments, Mitchell alleged. In an exchange in 2016 between a UAW safety representative and OSHA, it was revealed that Caterpillar frequently retaliated against employees who reported safety violations, while the UAW did practically nothing. The Associated Press contributed to this report. One of the world's biggest manufacturers of industrial vehicles and equipment has been cited and penalized for the death of a worker who fell into an 11-foot-deep pot of molten iron heated to more than 2,000 degrees this summer. He sustained six broken ribs. All comments will be kept anonymous. A 39-YEAR-old worker died after falling into a molten iron vat of 2,600 degrees Fahrenheit molten - leaving half of his body lying on the floor. Steven Dierkes, 39 had started working for Caterpillar Mapleton Foundry in Peoria County only five days previously, when he took a sample of iron for the met lab and 'apparently just tripped' according to an anonymous veteran factory worker, who used the . A 25-year-old electrician has had a miracle escape after falling into a furnace filled with liquid aluminium at 720C/1,328F.Incredibly, despite the searing p. Catch up on the developing stories making headlines. A worker at a Caterpillar foundry died instantly after he fell into a crucible at the Illinois worksite, officials say, according to media reports. A 39-year-old worker on just his ninth day on the job at a Caterpillar-operated foundry in Mapleton, Illinois, died after falling into a vat of molten iron. The chair rolled out from underneath the employee. A 39-year-old Caterpillar worker, Steven Dierkes, died instantly last Thursday after falling into a molten iron crucible at the companys Mapleton, Illinois foundry. The foundry at Mapleton produces multiple engine castings using various combinations of metals, which are poured into various molds in different pour zones that produce engine blocks, heads, liners and other manufacturing components. Upon his death in 1871, the Butcher Steel Works was taken over by the principal stockholders. Steven Dierkes, of Peoria, Illinois, died. He is remembered as a hard-working teddy bear of a man with calloused hands and a tender heart.. by Colin Fluxman | Published November 10, 2022 A 39-year-old employee of a Mapleton foundry fell and was immediately incinerated in an 11-foot-deep pot of molten iron heated to more than 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit. Dierkes death remains under investigation by the Peoria County Coroners office, the Sheriffs Office, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Peoria County Coroner Jamie Harwood said that no foul play is suspected, according to the Peoria Journal Star. Copyright 2023 ABC News Internet Ventures. A father-of-three was killed instantly at work following an accident involving molten iron at almost 1,500C. They didnt fix the job. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Search. While the new worker was on his probationary period for training, he was fired for reporting a part that fell out of a fixture, causing him a minor injury. He was melted in half. She broke her arm, he said, she damaged her knee, and she lost her job. And he added of the UAWs inability to protect the worker, because I got the complaint late, she lost her house and she ended up living in her car.. Ron, the veteran Caterpillar worker, noted that speedups and outsourcing of the workforce have created increasingly deadly conditions, A number of operations like chip and grind have been outsourced, he said. It must have been ghastly for those folks that witnessed it and to wait for the coroner with half of their coworker lying on the floor.. Stay up to date with what you want to know. We don't have any money. Perhaps the most remarkable thing about this is that the man survived at . Dierkes was only on the ninth day of his new job when he died. Steven Dierkes, 39, was left with half his body lying on a factory floor after he . He climbed up on a chair with wheels to reach the part. JOHNSTOWN, Pa. (AP) _ Three workers plunged from a platform into a pit full of molten steel and died and five other employees were injured in the accident at the Johnstown Corp. steel plant. The death occurred on one of the large melters in the main foundry melting area, Ron said. The union has also done nothing to protect workers from the unsafe conditions workers face since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The U.S. Department . Adams is believed to have fallen over 20 feet through a hole in the floor, OSHA said. Caterpillar has 15 working days to either comply with the proposed penalties, request an informal conference with OSHA, or contest the findings of the investigation. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. Dierkes death was the third in 30 years since Ron had started working there. We are proactively appeasing the emotions of his family and carrying out psychological guidance for our workers, the company said in a statement, according to the South China Morning Post. Federal safety regulations require employers to install guardrails and restraint systems to protect workers from falls into dangerous equipment like Dierkes suffered. One worker who suffered an injury after falling over a trip hazard was fired by the company. He was transported and admitted to OSF Saint Francis Medical Center.. The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational. The report noted: An employee was repairing a broken chain on an overhead conveyor system. Steven Dierkes, 39, from Peoria, who was working alongside a crucible at iron-melting factory. Investigators with OSHA found that the foundry regularly exposed employees to unprotected fall hazards as they worked close to deep containers of molten iron. After earning his bachelor's degree from Penn State in Advertising/Public Relations, Caleb went to New York where he learned production assistance, photography and art direction. A 25-year-old electrician had a serious brush with death after falling into a 720 C vat of molten aluminium. Kevin Downey. China Steel Factory Suicide On June 2, a 39-year-old melting specialist who had been on the job for only nine days was removing a sample of iron from a furnace at a foundry in Mapleton, Illinois when he fell into a. 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