Federal officials say the killed at a Denver scrap processing facility when a metal baler started while he was inside was preventable.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration found Atlas Metal & Iron Corp. did not make sure the machine was shut down properly. Further, OSHA said that during an inspection following the incident investigators found 12 safety violations at the facility.
“Enclosed machinery and unprotected moving parts can be fatal,” Herb Gibson, OSHA’s area director in Denver, said in a statement Thursday. “If Atlas Metal & Iron Corp. had followed simple, well-known safety practices for turning off machinery before allowing employees to work inside, this tragic incident could have been prevented.”
The company was fined $58,410 for the violation.
Family-owned Atlas Metal & Iron Corp. released a statement Thursday afternoon saying it is “terribly saddened by the tragic loss.”
The company identified the man killed as Abel Maldonado and said he had worked at Atlas for more than 15 years.
“The safety of our employees has always been a paramount priority of our company,” the statement said. “We have strived hard over the years to build a quality safety and health program. We are committed to making it even better in the future, this endeavor is fully supported by our employees.”
Atlas said it cooperated with federal investigators from the start and has implemented many of OSHA’s suggestions for improvement. Roughly 100 people work at Atlas, OSHA said.
Federal officials said the company has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and proposed penalties to comply, request a conference with the area director or contest the findings.
