All comments will be published anonymously. The employee who died was a melting specialist who was removing a sample of iron from a furnace when he fell into the melting pot. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided byRefinitiv Lipper. 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 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. 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. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration sent investigators to the Mapleton foundry after an employee fell to his death on June 2, the agency said in a news release. 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. 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 HERO blast furnace worker who rescued colleagues in the 2001 explosion at the Port Talbot steelworks died from burns after falling into a molten slag channel at the plant five . Despite suffering 100% burns, he would die later that day in the hospital. The renamed Midvale Steel Works became best known for its its early experimentation with alloy . They proposed a fine of $145,027 for foundry operator Caterpillar. I dont know what time it happened but by 10:20 a.m. the entire facility was sent home, the worker said. He and his family are in all of our thoughts and prayers. The death of the worker has gone unacknowledged by the UAW International so far. Part of his body remained on the deck for the coroner to retrieve. Caterpillar, a Fortune 500 corporation and construction equipment manufacturer, was cited for one willful violation and fined $145,027 by OSHA, according to OSHAs statement announcing the punishment. Federal safety regulations require employers to install guardrails and restraint systems to protect workers from falls into dangerous equipment like Dierkes suffered. A 25-year-old electrician had a serious brush with death after falling into a 720 C vat of molten aluminium. "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. Wang Long, 34, went missing from a. Presumably the company would have their whitewash mixed by then, he added. Thanks for contacting us. Upon his death in 1871, the Butcher Steel Works was taken over by the principal stockholders. "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. 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. 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.. He is remembered as a hard-working teddy bear of a man with calloused hands and a tender heart.. 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. The safety of our employees, contractors and visitors is our top priority., Dierkes reportedly fell just before 10 am, and an anonymous employee told the World Socialist Web Site, that Dierkes was taking a sample of iron for the met lab and apparently just tripped.. By Michael Curzon. An Illinois foundry worker died following an accidental fall into 1,400-degrees Celsius molten iron crucible, which burned half of his body. Was heated to more than 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit. A federal investigation determined that, if proper safety guards had been installed, the death could have been avoided, OSHA said. The dad-of-threes death comes six months after another deadly fall at the Mapleton foundry. Fill out the form at the end of this report to share your experience about any workplace or safety issues at your facility. Gordon Hickman, 41, was operating a massive ladle near the rim of the 35-foot pit just before noon when he fell into it, moments before the 2,600-degree steel was poured in, said Battalion Chief John Whitlatch of the Canton Fire Department. . Our melting area is physically connected but operationally independent. Last December, Scott Adams of East Peoria fell to his death. 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. A father-of-three died when he fell into a vat of molten iron, a coroner has said. 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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. the sellout of Caterpillar workers by the UAW, Sellout at Arconic: The latest showdown between workers and the unions, The UAW betrayal at Caterpillar and the case for rank-and-file committees, US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports 5,333 workers died on the job in 2019, or one every 99 minutes, As workers mourn death of Sterling Stamping worker Terry Garr, few facts made public. (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. Word spread fast and people were gathering trying to find out what happened.. His co-workers said he had been trading stocks and futures for a long time. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies. I say that because local media are little more than advertising for Caterpillar.. Federal investigators say inadequate safety protections may be to blame for the worker's death. It was only the employees ninth day on the job. A Caterpillar spokesperson told The Associated Press the company "will continue to engage with OSHA to seek an appropriate resolution to its review.". 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. He died instantly, but not all of him went in. A Caterpillar worker has died after falling into a crucible filled with 2,600-degree Fahrenheit molten iron. 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. Steven Dierkes was working at the Caterpillar Mapleton Foundry in Illinois, US, when the accident occurred. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. A Caterpillar employee was "immediately incinerated" when he fell into an 11-foot-deep pot of molten iron heated to more than 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the U.S. Occupational . 0:57. Tom Wood. 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. He sustained six broken ribs. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), part of the Department of Labor, determined that the foundry routinely exposed employees to unprotected fall hazards, even though they worked less than four feet from deep ceramic containers of molten iron that were heated to more than 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit. Another worker noted in a social media post that Steven hadonly been there for 5 days and he should not have been on the iron floor without sufficient training. Having molten lead or gold poured down your throat, they . Those injuries are still happening.. 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. 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. In April 2020, a 47-year-old man also committed suicide in China for similar reasons by jumping from a high-rise building in a hospital in the city of Putian, the news outlet reported. FILE: Construction machines of Caterpillar Inc. (Gen Yuhe/VCG via Getty Images / Getty Images). Caterpillars failure to meet its legal responsibilities to ensure the safety and health of workers leaves this workers family, friends and co-workers to grieve needlessly, OSHA Area Director Christine Zortman said. Perhaps the most remarkable thing about this is that the man survived at . He had been on a gantry at a galvanising factory in Witham, Essex. On June 2, a 39-year-old melting specialist died at a Caterpillar-owned foundry in Mapleton, Illinois, after falling into an "11-foot-deep" pot of molten iron that had been heated to over. "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.". The report noted: An employee was repairing a broken chain on an overhead conveyor system. Once he reported [his] injury, he was discharged, Mitchell said. Part of his body remained on the deck for the coroner to retrieve. When he arrived at St. Joseph Medical Center in Fort Wayne, molten metal had . 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. 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. A father-of-three died when he fell into a vat of . The incident occurred at Caterpillar's foundry in Mapleton, Illinois on June 2, 2022. So, I guess that's somewhat comforting. 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. Fill out the form below to share your experience about any workplace or safety issues at your facility. Caterpillar is facing a $145,000 fine for its role in the death of a 39-year-old man who fell into a pot of molten iron at the company's Illinois foundry. The employee was attempting to retrieve a part from a machine. Steven Dierkes, 39, from Peoria, who was working alongside a crucible at iron-melting factory. The employee was hospitalized with multiple fractures and body trauma., In July 2017, Caterpillar was fined $5,079 for an incident in which a worker sustained six broken ribs. The UAW betrayed two strikes by Caterpillar workers, in 1991-1992 and in a protracted 17-month-long strike in 1994-1995, which ended with the imposition of the hated two-tier system and a 30 percent cut in wages for new hires by 1998. It didnt go away, but the work being done by UAW-represented people did. The U.S. Department . Skip to content. The incident happened on Thursday, June 2, at . -Caleb Fernndez is a digital content producer for KGUN 9. 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. 24. In December 2021, 50-year-old Scott M. Adams also took a fatal plunge in the factory. Adams is believed to have fallen over 20 feet through a hole in the floor, OSHA said. A Caterpillar spokesperson said in a statement toCBS News: "Our thoughts remain with this employee's family, friends and colleagues. In a perfunctory and hollow statement, a spokesperson for Caterpillar stated, 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. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way, Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Adams was contracted from Shaefer Electric to work at the Caterpillar foundry, where he was installing new equipment. Peoria County Coroner Jamie Harwood said that no foul play is suspected, according to the Peoria Journal Star. Copyright 2022 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. In the video, posted to r/WTF on Wednesday, a bald-headed man, hanging out in a metal smelting plant, removes his protective gloves, crouches by a small waterfall of glowing, white-hot metal, and smacks the stream . One worker who suffered an injury after falling over a trip hazard was fired by the company. Steven Dierkes, 39, was working near a crucible . What are we going to do? He was fired for not letting the part fall., Mitchell reported that since Caterpillar eliminated a line at the foundry in 2013, the company made the conditions even more dangerous. Mr. Tiller, who had just finished on the shift that ended at 7 a.m., heard the fire alarm. A worker at a Caterpillar foundry died instantly after he fell into a crucible at the Illinois worksite, officials say, according to media reports. Steven's family remembered him as a 'teddy bear of a man' who 'adored' his daughters. 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. This was told to the union official down at that particular place of employment. Long reportedly committed suicide after losing money in the stock market. In articles which talked about the video that time, the man was identified as an Armenian steel worker named Arkady . The death occurred on one of the large melters in the main foundry melting area, Ron said. We feel deeply sorry for his death. "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," expressed OSHA Regional Administrator Bill Donovan in Chicago. Part of his body remained on the deck for the coroner to retrieve., Steven Dierkes, 39, is survived by his partner Jessica Sutter and their three daughters. Shocking video captured the moment a despondent steel factory worker in China took his own life by jumping into a blast furnace after reportedly losing just over $9,000 in the stock market. International Committee of the Fourth International. "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.". "We implore employers to review the agency specific regulations to protect workers from falls into equipment in industrial settings.". Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. 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