The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health has launched an investigation into the death of an employee in a facility that manufactures aerospace products in Los Angeles County. This tragedy appears to have resulted from a violation of one of the most crucial safety standards for industrial facilities. The victim suffered fatal workplace injuries in what seems to be an incident involving the unexpected energizing of a machine during maintenance.
One of the most crucial safety standards in manufacturing plants is lockout/tagout procedures by which power to machines is cut and switches are tagged before maintenance or cleaning operations commence. The tagout procedure will warn any other worker not to turn on the power and threaten the safety of the maintenance workers. It is unclear whether this procedure was followed in this case.
According to a police report, a 61-year-old worker was doing repairs on a machine that was big enough to accommodate a maintenance worker inside. Tragedy struck when another worker turned power to the machine back on. The reactivation of the massive machine caused fatal injuries to the worker inside. A police investigation is also ongoing to determine why the other worker reactivated the machine.
The California workers’ compensation insurance program provides survivor’s benefits to the surviving family members of victims of fatal workplace injuries. Navigating the claims process could be challenging, but an experienced workers’ compensation attorney can provide the necessary support and guidance. Death benefits typically include compensation to cover end-of-life expenses and a financial package to cover a percentage of lost wages.
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