Missouri workers who work in steel mills understand that their jobs are inherently dangerous. A recent tragedy took place at a steel mill in another state. The incident involved a 71-year old employee.
The work accident took place on a recent Tuesday, and the man suffered fatal injuries. The accident involved a massive coil tractor machine. Any job where large vehicles or equipment are involved carries a high risk for injury. This is why employers are obligated to provide proper training, information and equipment to help keep their workers as safe as possible on the job.
As is typically required when a fatality occurs on the job, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has launched an investigation to determine exactly what occurred. This particular incident took place in Indiana at a mill company that has been cited in the past for safety violations. In fact, the recent tragedy was the fourth workplace fatality that has taken place at the mill since 2017. One of those incidents resulted in the death of a 49-year-old worker and $14,000 in fines against the company for safety violations.
OSHA investigations can take up to six months to conclude. When a Missouri worker dies in the normal course of duty in the workplace, his or her spouse or other immediate family member may be able to collect benefits that can be of financial assistance to the family in their time of need. Many people use such benefits to help pay funeral expenses and to help make up for the loss of income that occurred when their loved one died.