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Worker fatally injured at work on his first day on the job

On Behalf of | Dec 16, 2015 | Firm News, Workplace Accidents

While workplace fatalities are often associated with industries such as construction and manufacturing, the lives of workers are lost in a variety of other industries nationwide, including here in Colorado. The family of a 19-year-old man in another state recently received the shocking news of their son’s death after he was fatally injured at work. The incident occurred on the young man’s first day at work.

An official report states that the man started his first job with a tree service company. A crew of workers was reportedly cutting down some trees when the new worker tried to force a tree limb into the wood chipper by kicking it. Unfortunately, the machine drew the young man in along with the tree limb.

It was reported that his employer and co-workers struggled to get the wood chipper turned off, but failed to stop the machine before the worker was killed. A second tragedy occurred when the employer suffered cardiac arrest during the incident. He was rushed to a hospital, and his condition is unknown.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations require all machines to have lockout/tagout facilities to protect workers from being injured at work, and proper training must be provided to new employees. An investigation will determine whether regulations were violated. Grieving families who have lost loved ones in fatal workplace accidents may pursue death benefits claims through the Colorado workers’ compensation insurance system. Surviving family members or dependents of deceased workers typically receive financial assistance to cover the costs of end-of-life arrangements along with a nontaxable percentage of lost wages.

Source: breitbart.com, “North Carolina Teen Killed in Wood Chipper on First Day on the Job“, Warner Todd Huston, Dec. 9, 2015

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