Sometimes, workplace accidents can result in serious injuries or death. In this report about a workplace accident in Maryland from Jan. 17, federal officials reported the death of a man who became caught in machinery while he was working. According to the story, the 35-year-old was cleaning a shellfish-shucking machine at a seafood-processing plant in New Bedford when he was caught and tangled up in the rotary turbine engine.
Police said that it took the fire department close to an hour to free the man from the machine, and they had to partially dismantle the machine to do so. The victim was pronounced dead on the scene. Police are investigating, and an autopsy has been planned.
It's important that in cases like these, people take the right steps to make sure these accidents don't happen again. The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration has sent an inspector to the plant to interview those at the plant and to gain more information about the incident. It's expected that a complete investigation will take a number of weeks, according to a spokesman for the agency.
The same plant was investigated in 2011 and had to fix a number of serious safety violations. Now, this investigation will be completed to see if the company has complied or fallen behind in safety procedures again.
If you've lost a loved one or been injured in a workplace accident like this one, it's important that you report your injuries. If you're left with bills from medical expenses or funeral costs, you may be able to claim compensation as well.
