Wisconsin steel worker fatally struck by girder

by | Jan 26, 2017 | Firm News |

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration is still investigating the circumstances behind a fatal accident at a Wausau steel factory that claimed the life of a 38-year-old Wisconsin man earlier this month. The man had worked for Veritas Steel for about two years when he was killed on a late Sunday afternoon.

The Marathon County Sheriff’s Department said that the man was killed when a steel girder fell on top of him. According to OSHA, he was unhooking the heavy girder from a crane when it fell.

The chief executive officer of the company, which describes itself as a “leader in bridge fabrication,” said, “We will provide more information once the review by authorities and our internal review are completed.”

The CEO called the worker’s death a “heart-wrenching” loss. OSHA says that it could take six months to determine precisely what led to the fatal accident.

The Wausau site where the worker was killed is on 22 acres. It includes a painting factory, which is where the employee worked.

The steel worker is survived by his parents as well as by his longtime girlfriend.

Obviously, working around heavy steel girders and beams can be extremely dangerous if proper precautions aren’t in place. It wasn’t reported why were in the factory on a Sunday or if that’s a common practice. One of the factors that is likely part of any investigation into a workplace accident is whether the appropriate employees were on-site to help ensure safety for everyone.

When someone is injured or killed in the workplace, the results of all government investigations as well as internal company reviews can be used in civil legal case against the company and others who may bear responsibility. Wisconsin attorneys experienced with workplace injuries work to obtain all relevant evidence from these investigations.

Source: WAOW.com, “UPDATE: Steel worker killed had job at factory about two years,” Robert Imrie, Jan. 16, 2017

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