Clothing company factory worker crushed by jammed machine

In Colorado, employees who suffer workplace injuries can seek compensation. There are a number of different types of injuries that can occur across many different workplaces. These can include head injuries, occupational diseases, and even lung diseases from toxic substance exposure.

But for some workers, injuries can be fatal. One particular factory worker employed by a national clothing company was crushed by a knitting machine and died soon after.

There is little information at this point because an OSHA investigation is still ongoing. But according to an OSHA spokesperson, the worker had been trying to fix a large knitting machine that had been jammed. The machine unexpectedly started up, crushing the worker and knocking him unconscious.

When emergency responders arrived, they found the man severely injured. It appears that the machine was still in operation and had to be turned off. The man was quickly transported to a nearby medical center but did not survive the injuries he sustained.

The OSHA investigation is likely trying to determine how the machine turned on while the man was trying to fix it. This is not the first time an accident like this has occurred in this apparel company’s factory. Several years ago, another employee was trying to fix a jammed knitting machine when a fellow worker turned on the machine, unknowingly putting the employee in danger. That employee suffered an ear injury as a result.

How are these types of accidents happening? Is the company failing to properly train employees on how to fix a jammed machine? Or should there be additional safety features that can prevent the machine from turning on while an employee is inside of it? Until the investigation is complete, these questions and others like them will remain unanswered.

Source: Huffington Post: “Tuan Phan, American Apparel Worker, Crushed By A Knitting Machine,” Anna Almendrala, Aug. 22, 2011.

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