A federal investigation is recommending a six-figure fine for Caterpillar after the death of an employee in June at the heavy equipment manufacturer’s foundry near Peoria.
The report from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration found that the 39-year-old worker was “immediately incinerated” when he fell into a vat of molten iron that had been heated to 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit. It was only the employee’s ninth day on the job.
OSHA found that Caterpillar did not have required safety guards or fall protection… and said if the proper precautions had been taken, the death could have been prevented. Caterpillar has two weeks to appeal the recommended $145,000 fine.
