Everyone in our part of the country understands there are many states larger than Illinois or Indiana (neither make it into the top twenty), which makes it all the more remarkable that both Indiana and Illinois rank within the top ten states for manufacturing in the United States. The Land of Lincoln ranks fourth; the Hoosier State ranks tenth. For details, read “Top 10 U.S. States for Manufacturing,” published by Industry Select on September 30, 2024.
Factory workers tend to be found in a select few areas, too. A great many workers are employed in Illinois facilities located in Chicago; Rockford; Elk Grove Village; and Elgin, or in Indiana factories operating in Indianapolis; Elkhart; Fort Wayne; Lafayette; and Columbus.
Top Manufacturing Employers in Illinois and Indiana
Most employees in our local manufacturing industry work at large facilities where literally thousands of factory workers are on the job each day. Industry Select explains that the following are the major manufacturing employers in each state:
Illinois
Industry Select data reports the following as the top factory worker employers in the Land of Lincoln:
- Rivian Automotive, LLC
- Ford Motor Co.
- Medline Industries, Inc.
- Lactalis American Group
- AbbVie, Inc.
- Continental Tire
- Hearthside Food Solutions, LLC
- Northrop Grumman Corp.
- Navistar, Inc.
- Tyson Foods, Inc.
- Medline Industries, Inc.
- Lactalis American Group
Indiana
Industry Select data reports the following as the top factory worker employers in the Hoosier State:
- Eli Lilly & Co.
- Toyota Motor Manufacturing
- Lippert Components, Inc.
- Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc.
- Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.
- Naval Surface Warfare Center
- General Motors
- Rolls-Royce Corp.
- Cleveland-Cliffs, Inc.
- United States Steel Corp.
Manufacturing Industry: One of the Most Dangerous Places to Work
Factory work, no matter whether food is being processed or car parts are being made, is very dangerous. In fact, the manufacturing industry is recognized as being one of the most dangerous industries for serious bodily harm or death suffered by workers.
From the National Safety Council, studies confirm that manufacturing ranks sixth in the country for the number of worker deaths, and fourth for the number of workers suffering non-fatal injuries and illnesses. Read National Safety Council: Industry Incidence and Rates: Most Dangerous Industries (Injury Facts).
Why is factory work so dangerous? The specific characteristics of the manufacturing environment make these workplaces a kind of perfect storm for employee accidents. Consider the following:
- There is an understandable pressure to keep on deadline.
- There are all kinds of heavy machinery, equipment, and tools being operated almost continually.
- Noise alone can contribute to a deadly accident.
- Heat can be a threat.
- The presence of hazardous chemicals poses a risk to any number of factory workers from toxic chemical exposures to fires, etc.
- The plant or facility itself may pose a risk, especially when floors are uneven, wet, or icy.
- Workers are often required to work on ladders or scaffolds.
- Industrial trucks (think forklifts) can cause deadly harm.
- The hubbub of activity brings its own dangers. Usually, there are a number of people working on task all around the jobsite who may or may not be employed by the same employer. Truckers delivering materials or taking away goods to the warehouse or distribution center may or may not be employed by the on-site worker, for instance.
Also see: Manufacturing Work in Indiana and Illinois: Can Workers Force Manufacturers to Make Job Sites Safer?
Common Factory Accidents That Can Kill or Catastrophically Harm
While no two manufacturing facilities are identical, and each will come with its own unique risks of injury, safety agencies and advocates for worker victims and their loved ones recognize that some dangers seem to exist on almost every factory worksite. These include:
Heavy Equipment and Machinery
Making things or processing products in today’s factories means the use of all sorts of tools and technologies that are purchased by companies for maximum efficiency and optimal profit. Unfortunately, heavy machinery and equipment is notorious for the dangers they bring not only to those workers using them, but to anyone who may be in their vicinity if there is a malfunction.
Getting caught in or struck by a piece of machinery or equipment can be deadly. Even the task of routine cleaning or maintenance of factory equipment and machinery can kill or cause loss of limbs.
For more, read: Heavy Equipment Accidents on the Job in Illinois and Indiana and Heavy Machinery Accidents in Indiana and Illinois.
Toxic Chemicals and Hazardous Materials
Look around any factory operation here in Illinois or Indiana, and it’s very likely there will be a number of chemicals or toxins that if not carefully monitored and stored can harm or kill any number of people. Even ordinary cleaning materials may emit fumes that are toxic. Manufacturing needs such as hydrofluoric acid are notoriously deadly with even a few seconds of exposure.
For more, read Chemical Injuries on the Job: Continued Widespread Failure to Comply with Federal Safety Standard and Chemical Accidents: Burns, Inhalation, or Neurological Work Injuries on the Job in Indiana or Illinois.
Slip & Fall Accidents
There are professionals who are dedicated to doing things like designing manufacturing facilities for maximum efficiency. Sadly, their failures can result in dangerous flaws where workers are vulnerable to fatal falls, even from a small height. Factory designs can be inherently dangerous. There can also be issues involving things like failures to provide proper drainage in areas where rain or liquids accumulate; inadequate safety measures for stairs, scaffolds, or ladders; and flooring failures with insufficient gradients or even being unlevel or weakened over time.
Falls in a factory can be deadly, and there are any number of situations where the worker can die from blunt trauma, spinal cord injuries, or a traumatic brain injury in a work accident fall.
For more, read Fall Accidents on the Job: Industrial Workplaces and Great Danger of Fall Injuries and Keeping Workers Safe from Severe Fall Accident Injuries on the Job.
Hit By Falling Objects
Manufacturing plants will need to store the components to their end-goods, as well as organize their products for shipment or distribution upon completion. Many facilities in Indiana and Illinois are enormous, with huge amounts of square footage dedicated to these needs and tremendously high ceilings to maximize storage. Workers will be accustomed to high walkways, ceilings that are several stories above them, and the sound of forklifts moving through the job site as well as moving scaffolds and the like.
Factory workers not only can be injured in heavy machinery accidents involving forklifts or scissor lifts (moving scaffolds), but they can be killed by falling objects if there has been a failure to secure all items that are placed within the factory storage areas.
For more, read Aerial Lift Accidents: Rising Risk to Workers in Indiana or Illinois and Five Deadly Workplace Dangers in Warehousing and Industrial Storage Facilities.
Duty to Keep Factory Workers Safe on the Job in Illinois and Indiana Manufacturing Plants
Factory workers and their loved ones need to be aware of the great risks of harm that exist on these worksites. They also have a right to know that not only the immediate employer, but others with any custody, control, or possession or aspects of that workplace have legal duties to keep everyone safe from harm.
These duties can include things like:
- Providing Personal Protective Equipment (“PPE”) for the factory workers as needed. Each jobsite will have its own specific needs. Non-slip footwear will be important in factories where the floors are susceptible to rain or liquids. Special headgear may be needed for those working alongside storage areas.
- Care, maintenance, and repair of the workplace is a must. Most factory environments will need 24/7 monitoring for special cleaning or repair needs. Housekeeping should be on task at all times for things like removal of industrial dust, debris, etc.
- Special care of hazardous materials and toxic chemicals is obvious. All those with any authority or control at the factory should be aware and alert for the risks of chemical burns, toxic inhalations, and broad-based exposure dangers that come from having these dangers on the site. All regulatory requirements and industrial standards should be maintained. Warning labels should never be removed.
- All workers should be trained in safety measures specific to their job duties. There should also be a factory-wide safety policy in place, as well as emergency procedures to be followed in the event of a worker accident.
For more, read:
- Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for Industrial Workers
- Workplace Housekeeping and Serious Accidents on the Job: Duty of Care
- Warning Labels and Work Accidents
- Safety Helmets or Hard Hats? OSHA Makes a Change
- PPE for Factory Workers: Severe Work Accidents in Manufacturing Industry.
For any factory worker or their loved ones who has suffered after a factory accident in Indiana or Illinois, it is important to know that not only workers’ compensation benefits, but possible third-party personal injury claims may be available under state law. Each case is different, and it may be only after an in-depth accident reconstruction analysis that all those who have legal liability can be identified.
There is no legal duty for those who have breached a legal duty to come forward; it will be the responsibility of the worker victim to pursue these avenues for justice.
Also see:
- Damages are Different: Workers Compensation vs. Third Party Personal Injury Claims
- Premises Liability and Workplace Accidents: Third Party Injury Claims
- Workers’ Compensation and Third-Party Claims for On-the-Job Accidents
- Deadlines for Injury Victims to File Lawsuits: Statutes of Limitations
- How To Choose the Right Personal Injury Lawyer for You and Your Family
- What To Look For in a Personal Injury Lawyer in Indiana or Illinois.
The manufacturing industry is one of the biggest employers here in Illinois and Indiana. Factory work is also one of the most deadly and dangerous. Please be careful out there!
