Federal investigatorssay that inadequate safety protections may have contributed to the worker's death and propose to fine the foundry operator Caterpillar of $145,027. China Steel Factory Suicide He died instantly, but not all of him went in. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. A friend of mine worked for a company down in Florida that would pour concrete sea walls, their company was violated for the same issues multiple times, no deaths had even occurred and some individual fines were $400,000 and this was over 10 years ago. Last December, Scott Adams of East Peoria fell to his death. Make your voice heard! More than 800 people are employed at the Caterpillar foundry in Mapleton, Illinois, and the foundry manufactures engine components used for construction and mining equipment, off-highway diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines and diesel-electric locomotives, according to OSHA. 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. A Caterpillar spokesperson said in a statement toCBS News: "Our thoughts remain with this employee's family, friends and colleagues. Steven Dierkes, the 39-year-old employee of a Mapleton foundry, fell into an 11-foot-deep pot of molten iron heated to more 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit and was "immediately incinerated." It was. The five injured employees were standing around the pit, Cambria County . This is the second death of a worker in the last six months at the Caterpillar facility, which has faced increasing safety violations in recent years. We were into professional wrestling, so every Friday night, wed get together with friends and wed try wrestling moves on each other. It was only his ninth day on the job, OSHA said. Steven Dierkes, 39, was killed instantly when he stumbled into . "If required safety guards or fall protection had been installed, the 39-year-old employee's ninth day on the job might not have been their last.". Ive got girls in high school. Copyright 2023 ABC News Internet Ventures. Thursday, November 10, 2022 MAPLETON, IL On June 2, 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. The Mapleton, Illinois Caterpillar facility has been the site of numerous safety and health violations in the past 30 years since the sellout of Caterpillar workers by the UAW in the 1990s. 2. We've received your submission. Dierkes was only on the ninth day of his new job when he died. They were told that its because you guys are getting hurt and our work comp costs are going up. "A worker's life could have been spared if Caterpillar had made sure required safety protections were in place, a fact that only adds to this tragedy," said OSHA Regional Administrator Bill Donovan in Chicago. The reason it was outsourced is because of high injury numbers and workers comp experience, he said. 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. Four thousand pounds of molten steel poured into an open pit after the lid blew off a caster at the foundry Wednesday at 5 p.m. 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. The employee removed the guards and laid on the rollers then saw the broken chain and pulled out with his hands and counted the links on the damaged chain. Tata Steel has been fined 500,000 after a Port Talbot worker was fatally injured after a fall into molten waste. One of the worlds 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. Caterpillar has 15 business days penalties to comply, request a conference or contest the findings. Federal investigators say inadequate safety protections may be to blame for the worker's death. So, I guess that's somewhat comforting. "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.". This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The worker was "immediately. All rights reserved. {Read More: Horrific death at Caterpillar Mapleton foundry evokes outpouring of shock and anger among workers}. A father-of-three died when he fell into a vat of molten iron, a coroner has said. A 39-year-old employee on their ninth day of work at a Caterpillar foundry in Illinois fell into a melting pot of iron "and was immediately incinerated," authorities said. David Clark News Reporter. Place is dangerous AF and doesn't leave much room for stupid even with all the safety regs. Sam Courtney-Guy Wednesday 8 Jun 2022 10:09 am. I havent seen the melting area in years, let alone the melt deck itself, so I cannot report what conditions are like. In December 2021, 50-year-old Scott M. Adams also took a fatal plunge in the factory. THIS IS the horrifying moment a desperate factory worker jumped into a super-heated 900C steel furnace after allegedly losing 6,000 on the stock market. I dont know what time it happened but by 10:20 a.m. the entire facility was sent home, the worker said. -Caleb Fernndez is a digital content producer for KGUN 9. The BBC's Joe Campbell reports: Alan Wardour, of Higham, Kent, suffered 100% burns when he fell into the vat containing molten metal heated to 400C. Part of his body remained on the deck for the coroner to retrieve. The safety of our employees, contractors and visitors is our top priority.. He is survived by his life partner Jessica Sutter and their three daughters. I've moved away from my family. He had lost over a million yuan $152,000 in the stock market, officials said. The UAW has done nothing to stop the increasing safety hazards happening, as the repeat violations and injuries at the facility reveal. He allegedly fell 20 feet while climbing a ladder. Steven Dierkes, of Peoria, Illinois, died. Investigators with the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration determined the foundry routinely exposed employees to unprotected fall hazards as they worked within four feet of deep ceramic containers of super-heated molten iron, OSHA said in a statement. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Everyone likes a good party trick, but the star of a viral Reddit video set a new standard for mind-boggling stunts when he passed his bare hand through a stream of molten metal. While an OSHA investigation is still under way more than six months after his death, Adams allegedly climbed a ladder and fell some 20 feet through a floor opening that was not properly covered. Steven Dierkes, 39, was taking a sample from the 1,400C crucible when he tripped and fell in, killing him. Copyright 2022 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? A 50-year-old East Peoria man working at the Caterpillar Inc. Mapleton foundry fell to his death Thursday, according to the Peoria County Sheriff's Office. This story has been shared 106,884 times. No foul play is suspected in the incident, coronerJamie Harwood said, adding that the matter is under investigation by the sheriffs office and occupational safety and health administration, reported Peoria Journal Star. A federal investigation determined that, if proper safety guards had been installed, the death could have been avoided, OSHA said. It added that he would have done anything for anyone with no expectation of anything in return. Wang Long, 34, went missing from a night shift at the Chinese steel factory where he worked before surveillance footage revealed the disturbing chain of events leading to his death. In April 2020, a 47-year-old man committed suicide by jumping from a tall building in Putian City, Fujian Province. 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. (RELATED: 72-Year-Old Woman Dies Hiking In Park That Authorities Closed Down Years Ago), Americas Got Talent Star Jonathan Goodwin Paralyzed After Getting Crushed And Caught On Fire https://t.co/ZlVm7PhosX, Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) May 4, 2022, 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, Caterpillar spokeswoman Lisa Millar said in an email to the outlet, Our thoughts are with this employees family, friends and colleagues. Steven Dierkes, worker who died after accidentally falling into vat of molten iron in Illinois on June 2, 2022. Watch David Norths remarks commemorating 25 years of the World Socialist Web Site and donate today. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Putins former spin doctor-turned-critic dead, Billionaire who killed self mourned by Clintons, Dr. Oz at NYC funeral, Family of nuclear physicist who died by suicide in jail cell sues US Government, Pentagon panel says military bases should stop selling guns to troops under 25 to prevent suicides. The incident took place at the Caterpillar foundry in Mapleton, the Peoria County coroner told the Peoria Journal Star. 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. We feel deeply sorry for his death. A spokesperson for the foundry Lisa Miller, said: 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., Our thoughts are with this employees family, friends and colleagues. According to OSHA, Caterpillar Inc. has received a violation and faces $145,027 worth in fines. This story has been shared 106,884 times. Harwood said the Thursday incident which took place at theCaterpillarMapleton Foundry was accidental and no foul play is suspected, thePeoria Journal Starreports. Ron said of Adams death that he was surprised one of the local stations actually had the audacity to point out the death of a contractor only last December in our facility. "A worker's life could have been spared if Caterpillar had made sure required safety protections were in place, a fact that only adds to this tragedy," said OSHA's regional administrator Bill Donovan in Chicago. Our melting area is physically connected but operationally independent. Another worker, who identified himself as Ron, said the death occurred on one of the large melters in the main foundry melting area. RIP, buddy., Ron, a veteran Caterpillar worker whose name has been changed to protect him from retaliation, told the World Socialist Web Site, He was taking a sample of iron for the met lab and apparently just tripped. One of the world's biggest manufacturers of industrial vehicles and equipment has been cited and penalized for . MAPLETON, Ill. Caterpillar Inc. is facing proposed fines of more than $145,000 after a federal investigation concluded that the construction-equipment manufacturer failed to install necessary. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. 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. Caterpillar did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment, sent outside normal working hours. Part of his body remained on the deck for the coroner to retrieve. Its very punishing work with a lot of carpal tunnel and similar injuries. Caterpillar workers: We want to hear from you. An investigation by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) as well as the sheriff and coroners offices is presently underway. Full details have not been released by OSHA for either case. 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. Come here for an animated look at viral headlines, US . We don't have any money. By Michael Curzon. Our thoughts are with this employees family, friends and colleagues. He was taking a sample of iron for the met lab and apparently just tripped, a worker who spoke on the condition of anonymity told the World Socialist Web Site (WSWS). "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," shared OSHA Area Director Christine Zortman in Peoria. Thanks for contacting us. Perhaps the most remarkable thing about this is that the man survived at . "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.". I was working with a guy shaking out 3600 diesel blocks with a 50 ton bridge crane once and gave him a run down of what not to do. A father-of-three was killed instantly at work following an accident involving molten iron at almost 1,500C. Caterpillars production demands almost invariably lead to accidents due to rushing.. Steven Dierkes was working at the Caterpillar Mapleton Foundry in Illinois, US, when the accident occurred. The video showing the man slapping hot molten liquid first surfaced in 2018. Peoria County Coroner Jamie Harwood said that no foul play is suspected, according to the Peoria Journal Star. Long reportedly committed suicide after losing money in the stock market. He just disappeared instantly, a worker who saw the surveillance footage told the Xiaoxiang Morning Post. 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? Stay up to date with what you want to know. Half of 39-year-old Steven Dierkes's body was found lying on the floor after he supposedly fell into a crucible containing the molten iron, which was roughly 2,600 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the New York Post. "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," he added. The company was established in 1867 in the Nicetown area of Germantown, Philadelphia by William Butcher. The U.S. Department . He fell onto a concrete floor. Word spread fast and people were gathering trying to find out what happened. 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. Market data provided byFactset. Adams was contracted from Shaefer Electric to work at the Caterpillar foundry, where he was installing new equipment. The employee was. Kevin Downey, 49, fell five years after being hailed a hero for his actions after . A worker fell into a pool of 720C molten aluminium at a factory - but somehow he survived. Molten liquid first surfaced in 2018 is that the man slapping hot liquid. Viral headlines, US died when he fell into a super-heated 900C Steel furnace after allegedly 6,000! 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