Dierkes was only on the ninth day of his new job when he died. Dierkes' death was the second to occur at the Mapleton foundry in six months. 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. 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. It is believed Adams stepped off a ladder before falling through a hole in the floor. We've received your submission. 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. The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational. 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. He sustained six broken ribs. I havent seen the melting area in years, let alone the melt deck itself, so I cannot report what conditions are like. Federal safety regulations require employers to install guardrails or covers to protect workers from falling into dangerous equipment. The report noted: An employee was repairing a broken chain on an overhead conveyor system. A HERO blast furnace worker who rescued colleagues in the 2001 explosion at the Port Talbot steelworks died from burns after falling into a molten slag channel at the plant five . FILE: Construction machines of Caterpillar Inc. (Gen Yuhe/VCG via Getty Images / Getty Images), FOX Business Flash top headlines for November 15. It must have been ghastly for those folks that witnessed it and to wait for the coroner with half of their coworker lying on the floor, the worker told the outlet. Another worker noted in a social media post that Steven hadonly been there for 5 days and he should not have been on the iron floor without sufficient training. 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. {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. The company said Wang went missing March 24 while on night duty at the facility, prompting a search by fellow workers. This story originally appeared onThe Sunand was reproduced here with permission. The family of Caleb Otieno, an employee of Thika-based Blue Nile Rolling Mills Ltd, who was killed after he fell into a vat of molten steel last month, is entangled in a row . 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. PEOPLE. Steve Dierkes, a 39-year-old employee and melting specialist at a Caterpillar foundry, which produces cast iron engine components in Mapleton, Illinois, was "immediately incinerated" after falling into the huge tub of molten iron that was heated to approximately twice the temperature of volcanic lava on June 2 earlier this year. He climbed up on a chair with wheels to reach the part. The five injured employees were standing around the pit, Cambria County . 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. One of them being, if the hooks fall out of the block or gating or whatever just get back and let it all fall. The worker was "immediately incinerated" in the incident, which occurred in June, per the Department of Labor. 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The horrific death of Dierkes follows that of 50-year-old Scott Adams, an electrical contractor, who also fell to his death in the foundry on December 23, 2021. Industrial accident: Man falls into machine while at work. Another Caterpillar worker moved his wife and eight children from Oklahoma to find work at the Mapleton facility. Skip to content. 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. 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." Investigators with the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration determined the foundry routinely exposed employees to unprotected fall hazards as they worked within four feet of deep ceramic containers of super-heated molten iron, OSHA said in a statement. The foundry at Mapleton produces multiple engine castings using various combinations of metals, which are poured into various molds in different pour zones that produce engine blocks, heads, liners and other manufacturing components. Users of Chinas social media platform Weibo expressed their sadness about Wangs death. An OSHA investigation found "the foundry routinely exposed employees to unprotected fall hazards" while they worked within 4 feet of containers of molten iron. What a pity that he lost his life at such a young age!. Steven Dierkes, 39 had started working for Caterpillar Mapleton Foundry in Peoria County only five days previously, when he took a sample of iron for the met lab and 'apparently just tripped' according to an anonymous veteran factory worker, who used the . NOW WATCH: Truck drivers block roads in Brazil after far-right president loses reelection bid. The BBC's Joe Campbell reports: Alan Wardour, of Higham, Kent, suffered 100% burns when he fell into the vat containing molten metal heated to 400C. PHOTO | FAMILY ALBUM. While an OSHA investigation is still under way more than six months after his death, Adams allegedly climbed a ladder and fell some 20 feet through a floor opening that was not properly covered. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. He was taking a sample of iron for the met lab and apparently just tripped, a worker who spoke on the condition of anonymity told the World Socialist Web Site (WSWS). He fell onto a concrete floor. The facility ships an average of 150,000 tons of finished product each year.. I havent seen the melting area in years, let alone the melt deck itself, so I cannot report what conditions are like. Steve Dierkes, a 39-year-old employee and melting specialist at a Caterpillar foundry which produces cast iron engine components in Mapleton, Illinois, was "immediately incinerated" after falling into the huge tub of molten iron that was heated to approximately twice the temperature of volcanic lava on June 2 earlier this year. An Illinois man died instantly after he allegedly fell into a vat of molten iron in early June. The employee who died was a melting specialist who was removing a sample of iron from a furnace when he fell into the melting pot. Another worker, who identified himself as Ron, said the death occurred on one of the large melters in the main foundry melting area. Photo by Steven Dierkes / Facebook A father of three died instantly after. 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 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. Caterpillar employee immediately incinerated after falling into pot of molten iron, OSHA says, Parent volunteer charged in alleged relationship with a minor, California board denies parole for RFK killer Sirhan Sirhan, Manager shot, killed at Hobby Lobby warehouse. An Illinois man died instantly after tripping and partially falling into a vat of molten iron. Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in, Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile, A video by Caterpillar Mapleton Foundry shows iron being melted at 2,600 degrees Fahrenheit. Federal investigatorssay that inadequate safety protections may have contributed to the worker's death and propose to fine the foundry operator Caterpillar of $145,027. They proposed a fine of $145,027 for foundry operator Caterpillar. Repeated violations result in higher fines. More than six months after his death, the investigation is still underway. The Daily Caller | 1775 Eye Street NW | Suite 1150-290 | Washington, DC 20006, (RELATED: 72-Year-Old Woman Dies Hiking In Park That Authorities Closed Down Years Ago), occupational safety and health administration. TESLA'S TEXAS GIGAFACTORY FACES MORE COMPLAINTS OF ALLEGED LABOR VIOLATIONS, "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," OSHA Regional Administrator Bill Donovan in Chicago said in a statement. A Caterpillar spokesperson said in a statement toCBS News: "Our thoughts remain with this employee's family, friends and colleagues. They were told that its because you guys are getting hurt and our work comp costs are going up. The union has also done nothing to protect workers from the unsafe conditions workers face since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. 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. The fatal accident occurred at a meat processing plant when 41-year-old cleaner Hugo Avalos Chanon fell into a running meat blender while cleaning it. He had. 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. 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 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. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. Wang Long . Perhaps the most remarkable thing about this is that the man survived at . OSHA cited Caterpillar Inc. for one willful violation. We feel deeply sorry for his death. Having molten lead or gold poured down your throat, they . 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. Share your story ideas and important issues with Caleb by emailing caleb.fernandez@kgun9.com or by connecting on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter. Ron was unable to report on the conditions of the foundry melting area. 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. 24. Another employee claimed on social media that Dierkes had only been there for five days and didnt have sufficient training to be on the iron floor, according to WSWS. We've received your submission. Following Adams incident, Caterpillar released a statement toNBC Chicagosaying an investigation was underway and the company was deeply saddened., The company said: Our thoughts are with the workers family, friends and colleagues., The Mapleton Foundry is described onCaterpillars websiteas one of the largest in the United States., Caterpillar explains: It can melt up to 1,000 tons of iron each day to produce finished castings ranging from 15lb liners to 22,000lb cylinder blocks.. the sellout of Caterpillar workers by the UAW, Sellout at Arconic: The latest showdown between workers and the unions, The UAW betrayal at Caterpillar and the case for rank-and-file committees, US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports 5,333 workers died on the job in 2019, or one every 99 minutes, As workers mourn death of Sterling Stamping worker Terry Garr, few facts made public. Word spread fast and people were gathering trying to find out what happened. by Colin Fluxman | Published November 10, 2022 A 39-year-old employee of a Mapleton foundry fell and was immediately incinerated in an 11-foot-deep pot of molten iron heated to more than 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit. In an exchange in 2016 between a UAW safety representative and OSHA, it was revealed that Caterpillar frequently retaliated against employees who reported safety violations, while the UAW did practically nothing. 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. On June 2, a 39-year-old melting specialist who had been on the job for only nine days was removing a sample of iron from a furnace at a foundry in Mapleton, Illinois when he fell into a. 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. 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. An Illinois man died instantly after he allegedly fell into a vat of molten iron in early June. Steven Dierkes was working at the Caterpillar Mapleton Foundry in Illinois, US, when the accident occurred. In November 2019, OSHA fined Caterpillar $4,337 for a serious health and safety violation at the Mapleton facility. CANTON, Ohio - A foundry worker was killed Thursday when he fell into an industrial pit and was covered in molten steel, authorities said. 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. 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