Law enforcement authorities, safety agencies, and those advocating for worker victims and their loved ones continue to warn about the growing dangers facing industrial workers in this country, particularly here in Indiana and Illinois. Consider the following:
The Rising Risk of Worker Death on the Job
In January, the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that worker fatality rates are at a five (5) year high. Read, Workers Beware: BLS Reports Highest US Worker Death Rate in 5 Years. According to the National Safety Council, the number of preventable worker deaths in this country has risen over 14% since 2011. See, National Safety Council Injury Facts, Work-related Fatality Trends.
The risk of dying on the job in this country has been steadily rising for over a decade.
Increasing OSHA Efforts to Enforce Safety Laws
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) is doing more and more to try and help stop this trend in worker deaths on the job. In 2023, for instance, OSHA implemented two unique and special programs designed to increase enforcement of safety regulations in response to these rising trends involving (1) falling dangers on the job and (2) deadly warehouse and distribution industrial hazards. These programs boost enforcement activities by OSHA safety inspectors in these specific industries.
For more, read Fighting Fatal Falls on the Job: OSHA’s First National Emphasis Program; and New OSHA National Emphasis Program Targets Dangerous Warehousing Industry.
Illinois Gets Special OSHA Warnings of Worker Dangers
OSHA warned of specific dangers to workers in our local food processing industry in December 2022. See, OSHA Warns of Accident Dangers in Illinois’ Food Processing Industry. In June 2023, OSHA issued serious citations for repeated violations of safety regulations to Illinois contractors in the construction industry; shockingly, some of these employers were cited for a third (3rd) and seventh (7th) time. Read, Illinois Worker Warnings of Deadly Risks on the Job in Recent OSHA Citations.
Workers need to know these dangers of serious work accidents on the job are very real. Everyone needs to be alert to safety risks on their jobsite that are endangering their lives or the lives of their fellow workers.
The reality is that employers cannot be relied upon to keep workers safe from harm in catastrophic industrial accidents despite their clear legal duties to do so.
Rising Trend Reflected in Recent Industrial Worker Deaths in the News
Sadly, there is not a great deal of public outcry regarding the growing risk of death facing our industrial workers here in Indiana and Illinois. This needs to change. Every work accident that results in someone’s passing should be acknowledged, grieved, and understood for its lessons in how to prevent future similar incidents in the future.
Unfortunately, not all deaths that have been caused by work accident injuries are given their due consideration. Media coverage may not be given, or it may be minimal.
And, of course, there may be occasions where the fatalities are not immediately connected to a work accident and there is no safety failure recognition. See, Internal Injuries After an Accident Can Be Silent and Deadly.
Workers should be alert to the threat of a life-altering or deadly accident on the job, and how often employers and others with possession, custody, or control of aspects of the workplace are disregarding or disrespecting established duties of safety and care designed to keep workers safe.
A swift review of recent media coverage detailing local industrial accident deaths includes the following tragedies, this list is provided to exemplify how serious things are today for our local industrial work force. This is not to be considered a complete list of all worker deaths in the past few months:
1. April 2023: Agri-Farming Equipment Work Accident Death in Ingraham, Illinois
On a spring morning while working at a local agricultural facility, a 60-year-old worker suffered fatal injuries from a piece of equipment on the job site. For more, read “Clay County Work Death,” written by Mark Weiler and published by WSEI on April 14, 2023.
2. April 2023: Asphalt Tank Explosion Work Accident Death in Lemont, Illinois
That same month, a 25-year-old worker died in an explosion involving an asphalt tank at a local petroleum facility, located in the Chicago suburb of Lemont. Other workers were injured in the blast.
For more, read “One worker dies and at least one other injured in asphalt tank explosion near Illinois refinery,” written by Alexander Fangmann and published by WSWG on April 26, 2023; and “Homewood man dies in Lemont industrial accident,” written by Provided News and published by Homewood-Flossmoor Chronicle on April 25, 2023.
3. May 2023: Steel Machinery Work Accident Death in Butler, Indiana
Law enforcement were called to a Butler, Indiana, steel plant in the early morning hours of May 19, 2023, where a 44-year-old worker was found to have perished in an industrial machinery accident.
For more, read, “Fort Wayne man dies in industrial incident,” written by Ian Randall and published by WOWO on May 19, 2023; “Indiana worker killed after being pinned between steel coils,” written by Associated Press and published by Fox News on May 19, 2023; and “Fort Wayne man dies after pinned in machinery at steel plant in Butler,” written by Joe Carroll and published by WANE on May 19, 2023.
4. May 2023: Amazon Warehouse Blunt Force Injury Death in Fort Wayne, Indiana
Blunt force injuries in an overhead conveyor lift accident caused the death of a 20-year-old Amazon warehouse worker at an Indiana facility in the Fort Wayne area. The warehouse was closed pending an investigation into how the young man lost his life on the job. For more, read “Indiana Amazon Fulfillment Worker Dies in Tragic Industrial Accident,” published by the Country Herald on May 12, 2023; and “Amazon worker killed in fulfillment center accident in Fort Wayne, Indiana,” published by WSWS on May 12, 2023.
5. May 2023: Fatal Blunt Force Trauma Injuries Suffered at Decatur Fabricator Facility
A 56-year-old worker died as the result of blunt force trauma injuries sustained in a work accident at a Decatur fabricator facility. For more, read “Man dies in industrial accident at job in Decatur: coroner,” written by Lydia Reuille and published by WANE on May 12, 2023.
6. June 2023: Ammunition Factory Explosion Work Accident Death in East Alton, Illinois
An explosion at an Illinois ammunition manufacturing facility caused the death of a 60-year-old worker, as he was driving a load into the plant. For more, read “1 worker dies in an explosion at an Illinois ammunition factory,” published by AP News on June 23, 2023.
7. July 2023: Caught-In Between Powder Coating Factory Accident Death in Mackinaw, Illinois
Around sunrise on July 13, 2023, a 42-year-old worker suffered fatal blunt force trauma injuries and internal bleeding in a caught-in between accident at a Mackinaw, Illinois, manufacturing plant. For more, read “Creve Coeur man dead after getting pinned between building and semi-truck,” written by Sean Lisitza and published by Central Illinois Proud on July 13, 2023.
8. July 2023: Construction Site Work Motor Vehicle Accident Death in Wadesville, Indiana
On a Friday morning earlier this month, a 52-year-old worker was working at a road construction site on Indiana State Road 66 when she was hit and killed by a reversing dump truck. For more, read “Woman killed in construction work accident identified in Posey County,” published by 14News on July 8, 2023
Justice for Worker Victims and Their Loved Ones After a Fatal Work Accident in Indiana or Illinois
Workers face great dangers and unnecessary risks at too many of our industrial workplaces, where they help create revenue for some of the most powerful and profitable industries in the nation, including our steel mills; warehousing facilities; manufacturing; transportation; construction; agri-business; food manufacturing and distribution; and maritime/shipping industries.
The dangers of workplace fatalities in this country are unacceptably high. OSHA investigations and warnings confirm that all too often, employers are breaching established legal duties of care as well as industrial safety standards.
Workers need to be extra careful every hour they are on the job. It is not disloyalty on the part of the worker to question the employer’s safety protections and protocols.
For those who fall victim to fatal job accidents, there are federal and state laws that provide avenues for justice. Workers’ compensation and wrongful death laws may help. There may also be third party civil actions to provide legal recompence in the aftermath of tragedy.
See:
- Premises Liability and Workplace Accidents: Third Party Injury Claims
- Multiple Employers on the Construction Site: Who Is Liable for Construction Worker Accidents?
- The Two Main Differences Between Workers Compensation and Personal Injury Claims for Accident Victims in Indiana and Illinois
- Caught In-Between Hazards: One of OSHA’s “Fatal Four” Deadly Construction Accidents
- Fatal Construction Work Accident: Injuries from Being Struck By Object
- The Six Basic Injury Dangers Facing Workers in Illinois and Indiana
- Worker Injuries Involving Industrial Equipment, Machinery, or Tools.
Workers are in great danger today of literally dying on the job. There are laws and standards in place demanding that employers meet a legal duty of safety and care, but many times, these are being ignored or disregarded on our job sites by the powers-that-be. Please be careful out there!
