Industrial workers in Illinois factories are exposed to many safety hazards on a daily basis. Many of those hazards are life-threatening, and employers are expected to ensure that the workplace environment is safe. When workers suffer injuries at the workplace, they are entitled to claim benefits from the workers’ compensation fund, and families who lose loved ones may claim death benefits.
Following a fatal workplace accident in June of this year, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has recently completed the investigation. A company that makes Chrysler parts received several citations for safety violations related to the death of a 21-year-old operator of a machine at the factory. It was reported that the worker was crushed by a machine when he tried to align the parts on which he was working.
OSHA determined that the accident could have been prevented had the machine been properly guarded to provide protection against working machine parts. It was apparently found that, while the machine has a detecting device to disable it when a worker is inside, the instrument was not properly set. This allowed the machine to go into action while the worker was reaching into it. OSHA accused the company of willfully neglecting to install safety guards and for not having a proper lock-out system in place.
The family of the Illinois worker who lost his life in this tragic accident may be facing financial instability after bearing the end-of-life costs and having to get by without his income. By claiming death benefits from the workers’ compensation fund, they may receive compensation. Death benefits usually include compensation for the funeral and burial, along with a financial package to provide some monetary assistance for the spouse — if the worker was married — and any other dependents.
Source: rockrivertimes.com, “Ventra Belvidere cited by OSHA, could face fines of up to $93,400 for June 2014 death”, Dec. 11, 2014