Authorities are investigating the recent death of one of the employees of a California seafood company. The ultimate cause of the fatal work injury was still a mystery to investigators at the time of this writing. Officials state a final report is forthcoming. However, they point out the process of determining the details of the incident and the ultimate cause of the unfortunate death of the employee could take months to complete.
At this point, few details of the incident are known. Company executives say that the deceased had worked at their Santa Fe Springs facility for six years. Family members of the deceased say that he worked the late shift at the seafood plant. Further, they state the man was primarily responsible for placing tuna into large steamers. According to initial reports, the man was cooked to death in an industrial oven during his shift.
The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health is conducting the investigation. So far, their reports indicate that the facility where the accident occurred did not have a history of safety violations prior to this incident. Reports show that the local fire department responded to a call of some sort of industrial accident at the plant in the 13100 block of Arctic Circle at approximately 7 a.m. A fire department spokesperson indicated that paramedics rushed to the facility and immediately pronounced the man dead at the scene.
The company released a statement through its spokesperson expressing their sadness with regard to the accident, their grief over the loss of one of their employees and their condolences to the victim’s family. It is important to allow the investigation to take its course and reserve judgment until all the facts are brought to light. However, it is also important for the victim’s family to understand their rights under applicable California statutes related to workers’ compensation and victims’ rights with regard to work injury. In these circumstances, the family is likely entitled to workers’ compensation death benefits to pay for final expenses as well as to provide for the loss of income occasioned by the man’s tragic death.
Source: Los Angeles Times, “Mystery over Bumble Bee tuna worker cooked to death continues,” Ari Bloomekatz and Shelby Grad, Oct. 17, 2012