24. He was transported and admitted to OSF Saint Francis Medical Center.. What a pity that he lost his life at such a young age!. We won't get into all the gory details . OSHA said in a news release Wednesday that the death of the 39-year-old employee happened on June 2 at a Caterpillar foundry in central Illinois, which produces cast iron engine components. Caterpillar has 15 business days from the time of OSHAs citation to either comply, request an informal conference with OSHAs area director to discuss the matter further or contest the findings and citation in front of the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. A spokesperson for the foundry Lisa Miller, said: We are deeply saddened by the death of an employee who was involved in a serious incident at our Mapleton, Illinois, facility on June 2., Our thoughts are with this employees family, friends and colleagues. "Producing more than 150,000 tons each year, Caterpillar's foundry is one of the nation's largest and they should be acutely aware of industry regulations to protect workers using smelters and other dangerous equipment.". A 39-year-old Caterpillar worker, Steven Dierkes, died instantly last Thursday after falling into a molten iron crucible at the company's Mapleton, Illinois foundry. The safety of our employees, contractors and visitors is our top priority., Dierkes reportedly fell just before 10 am, and an anonymous employee told the World Socialist Web Site, that Dierkes was taking a sample of iron for the met lab and apparently just tripped.. Welcome to TomoNews, where we animate the most entertaining news on the internets. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way, Occupational Safety and Health Administration. It was told to the members in a factory meeting. The 39-year-old employee was only on his ninth day at the job when he died. The U.S. Department . This is the second death of a worker in the last six months at the Caterpillar facility, which has faced increasing safety violations in recent years. The safety of our employees, contractors and visitors is our top priority.. Wang Long, 34, an employee at Baogang Group in Baotou, Inner Monglia, is seen removing his safety helmet and gloves, placing them on the ground as he hesitates before hurling himself into the molten steel, the South China Morning Post reported. IRVING, Texas A Caterpillar Inc. employee is dead after he fell into a pot full of molten iron heated to more than 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit. I received a text from my boss early evening last night that we were not to return to work until Monday. A 39-YEAR-old worker died after falling into a molten iron vat of 2,600 degrees Fahrenheit molten - leaving half of his body lying on the floor. A foundry worker in Mapleton, Illinois, died in June after falling into a vat of molten iron. Dierkes was only on the ninth day of his new job when he died. A Caterpillar spokesperson said in a statement toCBS News: "Our thoughts remain with this employee's family, friends and colleagues. Place is dangerous AF and doesn't leave much room for stupid even with all the safety regs. One worker who suffered an injury after falling over a trip hazard was fired by the company. We feel deeply sorry for his death. Caterpillar did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment, sent outside normal working hours. No foul play is suspected in Dierkes death, but it is still under investigation by the Sheriffs office, coroners office and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the PJ Star reported. Steven Dierkes, of Peoria, Illinois, was. He climbed up on a chair with wheels to reach the part. They just handed off the injuries to another employer. Four thousand pounds of molten steel poured into an open pit after the lid blew off a caster at the foundry Wednesday at 5 p.m. RIP, buddy., Ron, a veteran Caterpillar worker whose name has been changed to protect him from retaliation, told the World Socialist Web Site, He was taking a sample of iron for the met lab and apparently just tripped. In April 2020, a 47-year-old man also committed suicide in China for similar reasons by jumping from a high-rise building in a hospital in the city of Putian, the news outlet reported. IRVING, Texas A Caterpillar Inc. employee is dead after he fell into a pot full of molten iron heated to more than 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit. A 39-year-old worker died after falling into a molten iron vat of 2,600 degrees Fahrenheit molten - leaving half of his body lying on the floor. While the new worker was on his probationary period for training, he was fired for reporting a part that fell out of a fixture, causing him a minor injury. Full details have not been released by OSHA for either case. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? The employee dropped the chain in between sprockets and pushed on one end to the east and continued sliding under the sprocket to put the master link. The Mapleton, Illinois Caterpillar facility has been the site of numerous safety and health violations in the past 30 years since the sellout of Caterpillar workers by the UAW in the 1990s. In the video, posted to r/WTF on Wednesday, a bald-headed man, hanging out in a metal smelting plant, removes his protective gloves, crouches by a small waterfall of glowing, white-hot metal, and smacks the stream . I dont know what time it happened but by 10:20 a.m. the entire facility was sent home, the worker said. A 39-year-old worker tragically died after falling into a vat of molten iron which was almost 1,500C. MAPLETON, Ill. Caterpillar Inc. is facing proposed fines of more than $145,000 after a federal investigation concluded that the construction-equipment manufacturer failed to install necessary. A Caterpillar spokesperson told The Associated Press the company "will continue to engage with OSHA to seek an appropriate resolution to its review.". Although falling into a pool of molten metal would be severely painful, our pain receptors overload at temperatures above 60 C (140 F) and become numb. Ron was unable to report on the conditions of the foundry melting area. An Illinois man died instantly after tripping and partially falling into a vat of molten iron. The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational. What are we going to do? He was fired for not letting the part fall., Mitchell reported that since Caterpillar eliminated a line at the foundry in 2013, the company made the conditions even more dangerous. Federal investigators say inadequate safety protections may be to blame for the worker's death. The company is ordered to pay a fine of $145,027. A Caterpillar employee was "immediately incinerated" when he fell into an 11-foot-deep pot of molten iron heated to more than 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the U.S. Occupational . Thanks for contacting us. I havent seen the melting area in years, let alone the melt deck itself, so I cannot report what conditions are like. A father-of-three died when he fell into a vat of molten iron, a coroner has said. Was heated to more than 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit. The worker was "immediately incinerated" in the incident, which occurred in June, per the Department of Labor. This was told to the union official down at that particular place of employment. One of the worlds biggest manufacturers of industrial vehicles and equipment has been cited and penalized for the death of a worker who fell into an 11-foot-deep pot of molten iron heated to more than 2,000 degrees this summer. The crane began moving and struck the employee. A 39-year-old worker on just his ninth day on the job at a Caterpillar-operated foundry in Mapleton, Illinois, died after falling into a vat of molten iron. "Producing more than 150,000 tons each year, Caterpillar's foundry is one of the nation's largest and they should be acutely aware of industry regulations to protect workers using smelters and other dangerous equipment.". MAPLETON, Ill. (Gray News) A Caterpillar employee was immediately incinerated when he fell into an 11-foot-deep pot of molten iron heated to more than 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Caterpillar Inc. is facing more than $145,000 in fines from the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration because an employee fell into a pot of molten iron over the summer. Lean Jinghui | April 06, 2021, 05:47 PM . 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Caterpillar was fined $145,027 by OSHA for for not installing a guardrail or travel restraint at a foundry outside Peoria. Sign up for our newsletter for the latest tech news and scoops delivered daily to your inbox. The United Auto Workers (UAW), which oversees a number of Caterpillar workers, said little more: Local 974 lost one of our members this morning in a tragic accident at our Mapleton facility. Copyright 2022 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. "Caterpillar's failure to meet its legal responsibilities to ensure the safety and health of workers leaves this worker's family, friends and co-workers to grieve needlessly," said OSHA Area Director Christine Zortman in Peoria, Illinois. He sustained six broken ribs. He fell onto a concrete floor. He lost more than one million yuan (equivalent to 152,000 US dollars) on the stock exchange, the police said in a statement. has received a violation and faces $145,027 worth in fines. Caterpillars production demands almost invariably lead to accidents due to rushing.. A service celebrating his life will take place on June 9, 2022, at noon in Bloomington, Illinois. "I left. Dierkes, a resident of Peoria, was apparently working near the crucible, where different metals are melted at a temperature of over 2,600 degrees Fahrenheit, when he fell in. I say that because local media are little more than advertising for Caterpillar.. So, I guess that's somewhat comforting. Adams is believed to have fallen over 20 feet through a hole in the floor, OSHA said. This story has been shared 106,884 times. Chris Watkins said. A representative from the Bartonville Police Department said . Photo by Steven Dierkes / Facebook A father of three died instantly after. All comments will be published anonymously. Last Wednesday, OSHA proposed fines of $145,027 against Caterpillar for not installing a guardrail or travel restraint at the foundry, which manufactures cast iron engine components. Part of his body remained on the deck for the coroner to retrieve. "Producing more than 150,000 tons each year, Caterpillar's foundry is one of the nation's largest and they should be acutely aware of industry regulations to protect workers using smelters and other dangerous equipment.". More than 800 people are employed at the Caterpillar foundry in Mapleton, Illinois, and the foundry manufactures engine components used for construction and mining equipment, off-highway diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines and diesel-electric locomotives, according to OSHA. Everyone likes a good party trick, but the star of a viral Reddit video set a new standard for mind-boggling stunts when he passed his bare hand through a stream of molten metal. FILE: Construction machines of Caterpillar Inc. (Gen Yuhe/VCG via Getty Images / Getty Images). No foul play is suspected in the incident, coronerJamie Harwood said, adding that the matter is under investigation by the sheriffs office and occupational safety and health administration, reported Peoria Journal Star. 0:57. "A worker's life could have been spared if Caterpillar had made sure required safety protections were in place, a fact that only adds to this tragedy," said OSHA's regional administrator Bill Donovan in Chicago. Long reportedly committed suicide after losing money in the stock market. Steven Dierkes, 39, was taking a sample from the 1,400C crucible when he tripped and fell in, killing him. The employee was hospitalized with multiple fractures and body trauma., In July 2017, Caterpillar was fined $5,079 for an incident in which a worker sustained six broken ribs. -Caleb Fernndez is a digital content producer for KGUN 9. A worker at a Caterpillar foundry died instantly after he fell into a crucible at the Illinois worksite, officials say, according to media reports. Steve Mitchell, the UAWs safety chairman for the plant, admitted to a panel of investigators that the company fired workers who reported safety issues, while fecklessly stating, Im not here to speak badly about Caterpillar., In recent years at my local, Mitchell stated then, weve filed 53 11(c) complaints [whistleblower complaints under the section 11(c) of the OSHA act of 1970], and we havent had one complaint thats come in our favor. He added that people who made these complaints were disciplined or discharged and they expressed to [him] that they wish theyd never reported their injuries, and thats a sad state of affairs when you consider that your worst day at work of getting hurt just got made worse by potentially losing your job., Mitchell detailed horrific stories of workers who got fired as well. The UAW betrayed two strikes by Caterpillar workers, in 1991-1992 and in a protracted 17-month-long strike in 1994-1995, which ended with the imposition of the hated two-tier system and a 30 percent cut in wages for new hires by 1998. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Putins former spin doctor-turned-critic dead, Billionaire who killed self mourned by Clintons, Dr. Oz at NYC funeral, Family of nuclear physicist who died by suicide in jail cell sues US Government, Pentagon panel says military bases should stop selling guns to troops under 25 to prevent suicides. Caterpillar is facing a $145,000 fine for its role in the death of a 39-year-old man who fell into a pot of molten iron at the company's Illinois foundry. Swiss man survives after falling into molten aluminium The 25-year-old electrician fell through a trapdoor into a vat of burning hot metal, but somehow managed to pull himself out and is now being treated for his burns in hospital. Fill out the form at the end of this report to share your experience about any workplace or safety issues at your facility. A 39-year-old Caterpillar worker, Steven Dierkes, died instantly last Thursday after falling into a molten iron crucible at the companys Mapleton, Illinois foundry. One of the world's biggest manufacturers of industrial vehicles and equipment has been cited and penalized for the death of a worker who fell into an 11-foot-deep pot of molten iron heated to. Gordon Hickman, 41, was operating a massive ladle near the rim of the 35-foot pit just before noon when he fell into it, moments before the 2,600-degree steel was poured in, said Battalion Chief John Whitlatch of the Canton Fire Department. Another Caterpillar worker moved his wife and eight children from Oklahoma to find work at the Mapleton facility. Caterpillar has 15 business days from the time of OSHA's citation to either comply, request an informal conference with OSHA's area director to discuss the matter further or contest the findings and citation in front of the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. {Read More: The death of Steven Dierkes: A victim of Americas industrial slaughterhouse}, Steven Dierkes lived down the street from me when we were kids, said Jermaine Pigee, who mourned his friends death in a social media post. We are proactively appeasing the emotions of his family and carrying out psychological guidance for our workers, the company said in a statement, according to the South China Morning Post. He died instantly, but not all of him went in. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. A steel factory worker in China jumped into a blast furnace and died late last month after discovering he lost more than $9,000 on the stock market, authorities confirmed on Tuesday.. Wang Long, a 34-year-old worker at the state-owned Baotou Steel company in Inner Mongolia, had been working on his night shift on March 24 when he went missing, according to the South China Morning Post. Steven Dierkes, the 39-year-old employee of a Mapleton foundry, fell into an 11-foot-deep pot of molten iron heated to more 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit and was "immediately incinerated." I was working with a guy shaking out 3600 diesel blocks with a 50 ton bridge crane once and gave him a run down of what not to do. Steven Dierkes, worker who died after accidentally falling into vat of molten iron in Illinois on June 2, 2022. Wang Long . The unidentified worker explained: He died instantly, but not all of him went in. Steven Dierkes, of Peoria, Illinois, died. Dierkes death remains under investigation by the Peoria County Coroners office, the Sheriffs Office, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. A 39-year-old worker on just his ninth day on the job at a Caterpillar-operated foundry in Mapleton, Illinois, died after falling into a vat of molten iron. "A worker's life could have been spared if Caterpillar had made sure required safety protections were in place, a fact that only adds to this tragedy," said OSHA Regional Administrator Bill Donovan in Chicago. One of them being, if the hooks fall out of the block or gating or whatever just get back and let it all fall. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. An OSHA investigation found "the foundry routinely exposed employees to unprotected fall hazards" while they worked within 4 feet of containers of molten iron. Our thoughts are with this employees family, friends and colleagues. Wang Long, 34, went missing from a night shift at the Chinese steel factory where he worked before surveillance footage revealed the disturbing chain of events leading to his death. Half of 39-year-old Steven Dierkess body was found lying on the floor after he supposedly fell into a crucible containing the molten iron, which was roughly 2,600 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the New York Post. A 50-year-old East Peoria man working at the Caterpillar Inc. Mapleton foundry fell to his death Thursday, according to the Peoria County Sheriff's Office. Caterpillar has 15 working days to either comply with the proposed penalties, request an informal conference with OSHA, or contest the findings of the investigation. According to his obituary, Dierkes is survived by his partner Jessica Sutter and their three daughters. He had. An investigation by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) as well as the sheriff and coroners offices is presently underway. 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Time it happened but by 10:20 a.m. the entire facility was sent home, the office! Caterpillar Inc. ( Gen Yuhe/VCG via Getty Images / Getty Images ), worker who suffered an injury after into!, OSHA said his wife and eight children from Oklahoma to Find work at the when! To share your experience about any workplace or Safety issues at your facility the crucible! We animate the most entertaining news on the internets received a text from boss! June 2, 2022 gory details 15 minutes over man falls into molten steel feet through a hole in the stock.. Worker tragically died after accidentally falling into a vat of molten iron, coroner... Light and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration father of three died instantly but. That particular place of employment ) as well as the sheriff and Coroners offices is presently underway t much... Went in is ordered to pay a fine of $ 145,027 were not to return to work until.... 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