Earlier this week a man was killed as he performed a task that was related to his job. The incident took place at a manufacturing plant located in Westmoreland County. The man who died had worked for the metal roofing and siding business for around 30 years.

Though no one actually witnessed the accident, at the time of the morning incident, it is believed the man was using a 15-ton overheard crane to try to move a steel coil weighing 10,000 pounds. As he did so it appears that another coil came loose, crushing the man.

As is commonly the case in an industrial work accident such as this, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has commenced an investigation. Since it is charged with keeping workers throughout the nation safe, it will be looking to see that the proper safety standards were in place and being followed. If it finds any safety violations it is possible that the employer will face a fine.

It is also possible that the family of the man who died will file a wrongful death lawsuit related to the incident. Such a claim could be viable if negligence on the part of another was found to have contributed to his death. While wrongful death lawsuits are not a guaranteed win and they can be difficult to handle emotionally, in situations where families have depended on the deceased worker to support the family monetarily, a wrongful death lawsuit is necessary for the family to not fall apart financially.

Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, "Man crushed to death in Hempfield industrial accident," Molly Born, Feb. 4, 2013