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Officials from the US Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) are still looking into a workplace fatality in Jacksonville, Florida, according to FirstCoastNews.com. Jacksonville police discovered the body of a worker at a Bacardi production plant next to a piece of heavy equipment, apparently crushed to death.
“All we know is he was working underneath a piece of heavy equipment and was crushed,” said Sgt. Jay Farhat of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. The fact that the local police are investigating the death should raise concerns of foul play, but OSHA certainly hasn’t ruled it out as a workplace accident.
“We have up to six months to conclude our investigation,” said regional OSHA director Brian Sturtecky. “If any hazards are found during the comprehensive inspection as a result of this accident, citations will be proposed to the employer.”
Limited details surrounding the death were made available to the public.
“The accident is still under internal investigation,” said Patricia M. Neal, Bacardi spokesperson. “The production area of the facility was temporarily closed, and has now been cleared to resume operations. The rest of the campus has been operating under normal procedures. Bacardi prides itself as having safety as its number one priority. Our sincerest condolences go out to the family and we’re offering on-site counseling and support for our employees.”
If you or a loved one has been hurt at work and need to file for workers comp, please contact our office for a free consultation.
Larrimer & Larrimer, LLC—Columbus workers comp attorneys