Turlock Resident Dies After Conveyor Belt Accident
A Foster Farms processing plant worker died in an accident on April 27 in Turlock at a poultry installation after he fell asleep and was pulled into the production conveyor belt. He suffered a fatal head injury. Luis Salazar, age 30 and a Turlock resident, reportedly fell asleep, and coworkers roused him several times before the accident. He was declared dead at the scene.
Family Loss After an Unexpected Death
The death of a loved one after a tragic accident is almost too much for a family to bear. This is especially true when the person is young. The family faces not just grief but a profound financial loss if the decedent contributes to their support. While a wrongful death claim will never console the family and quell their grief, it may also help avoid a financial tragedy. Our firm takes every step to ensure that the family does not pay for another’s mistake.
GoFundMe Site Set Up for Deceased Worker
Salazar was employed by Marcos Renteria AG Services, a company contracted to work on the conveyor-belt line for Foster Farms in their Turlock processing plant. The Turlock Police Department and fire department were notified of the accident at 6:52 p.m. A GoFundMe page has been set up for Salazar to help pay for the funeral expenses.
Processing Plant Accident Under Investigation
The death is being investigated by California Occupational Safety and Health officials and the poultry company, whose California headquarters is in Livingston. Foster Farms said they strove to maintain a safe working environment for employees, hold a good safety record, and conduct training programs at the processing plant. The company also extended its sympathy to the friends and family of the deceased man. The portion of the processing plant where the accident occurred was closed following the death of Salazar and scheduled to reopen the next day.
The Dangers of Poultry Processing Plants
OSHA recognizes the dangers of a processing plant that handles poultry, including dangerous equipment, slippery floors, hazardous chemicals, high noise levels, and biological hazards. Among the areas of safety addressed by OSHA are:
- Lockout/tagout programs, which prevent machinery from accidentally starting up during periods of maintenance
- Providing personal protective equipment, including goggles, respiratory protection, protective clothing, and other items
- Providing safeguards to protect workers from moving machinery parts such as crush injuries, amputations, blindness, or burns
- Working and walking surfaces that guard against accidental falls, trips, and slips
Conducting a Processing Plant Investigation
Investigating a processing installation accident can help determine if company negligence contributed to an employee’s death or injury. A lawyer experienced in these accidents can help the injured person or family obtain the compensation they deserve. The investigation can include the following:
- Interviewing coworkers, witnesses, other workers performing the same job, the safety director, and the supervisor
- Checking the equipment that caused the accident for proper safety, including machine and floor guards
- Length of employment of the injured or deceased individual, their training, shift, and whether work was performed overtime when the accident occurred
Questions That Need to Be Answered
It is essential to ask and get answers to the following questions:
- Who installed and maintained the equipment?
- Who trained the injured/deceased person for the job?
- When was the equipment last inspected?
- What is the contact information for that person?
- Where were others, such as coworkers and the supervisor, when the accident occurred?
- What was the injured/deceased person doing right before the accident occurred?
- Were working conditions different than usual on the day the incident happened?
- Were conditions crowded, such as workers standing too close to each other?
- Was the line running at average speed, or had it been sped up?
- Was the staffing adequate or short-handed?
- Have others been injured doing this job?
- Has this same piece of machinery posed a problem before, such as a near accident?
- Have questions about safety around this machine been raised with management in the past?
Once it has been determined that company negligence contributed to the processing plant accident, our lawyers take the evidence to compile a strong case. It can be presented in court or used to negotiate with the insurer.
Turlock Farm Accident Lawyer
I’m Ed Smith, a Turlock farm accident lawyer. If a loved one has been injured or has died due to negligence in a food processing plant, I may be able to help. Call me at (209) 227-1931 for free and friendly advice or (800) 404-5400 if you are outside the area. You can also message me using the online form.
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For the past 38 years, I have helped Turlock residents obtain compensation for car accidents and other traffic collisions, wrongful deaths, and traumatic injuries.
Photo Attribution: https://pixabay.com/photos/condolences-trauerkarte-letters-3991589/
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