The safety of our employees, contractors and visitors is our top priority., Dierkes reportedly fell just before 10 am, and an anonymous employee told the World Socialist Web Site, that Dierkes was taking a sample of iron for the met lab and apparently just tripped.. "Producing more than 150,000 tons each year, Caterpillar's foundry is one of the nation's largest and they should be acutely aware of industry regulations to protect workers using smelters and other dangerous equipment.". The incident happened on Thursday, June 2, at . 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.. 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. Dierkes death remains under investigation by the Peoria County Coroners office, the Sheriffs Office, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Shocking video captured the moment a despondent steel factory worker in China took his own life by jumping into a blast furnace after reportedly losing just over $9,000 in the stock market. What a pity that he lost his life at such a young age!. The employee dropped the chain in between sprockets and pushed on one end to the east and continued sliding under the sprocket to put the master link. Caterpillars failure to meet its legal responsibilities to ensure the safety and health of workers leaves this workers family, friends and co-workers to grieve needlessly, OSHA Area Director Christine Zortman said. A worker at the factory said in a social media post, according to the website, that he had been employed for 5 days and did not have sufficient training to be on the iron floor. He died instantly, but not all of him went in. Dierkes was only on the ninth day of his new job when he died. Peoria County deputies were called to the facility around 10am last week when a man fell into a vat of molten iron at 2,600 degrees Fahrenheit and died on the spot. Steven's family remembered him as a 'teddy bear of a man' who 'adored' his daughters. "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," expressed OSHA Regional Administrator Bill Donovan in Chicago. A worker fell into a pool of 720C molten aluminium at a factory - but somehow he survived. Dierkes' death was the second to occur at the Mapleton foundry in six months. Investigators say if safety guards were installed, if might have prevented the accident. 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. Once he reported [his] injury, he was discharged, Mitchell said. PHOTO | FAMILY ALBUM. Federal investigators say inadequate safety protections may be to blame for the worker's death. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Thanks for contacting us. Steven Dierkes, 39, was left with half his body lying on a factory floor after he . This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Sam Courtney-Guy Wednesday 8 Jun 2022 10:09 am. Harwood said the Thursday incident which took place at theCaterpillarMapleton Foundry was accidental and no foul play is suspected, thePeoria Journal Starreports. Caterpillar, a Fortune 500 corporation and construction equipment manufacturer, was cited for one willful violation and fined $145,027 by OSHA, according to OSHA's statement announcing the punishment. All comments will be kept anonymous. 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. Half of 39-year-old Steven Dierkes's body was found lying on the floor after he supposedly fell into a crucible containing the molten iron, which was roughly 2,600 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the New York Post. 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. Steven Dierkes, 39, was taking a sample from the 1,400C crucible when he tripped and fell in, killing him. Caterpillar has 15 business days from the time of OSHAs citation to either comply, request an informal conference with OSHAs area director to discuss the matter further or contest the findings and citation in front of the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. Ron, the veteran Caterpillar worker, noted that speedups and outsourcing of the workforce have created increasingly deadly conditions, A number of operations like chip and grind have been outsourced, he said. International Committee of the Fourth International. The facility ships an average of 150,000 tons of finished product each year.. FAQ - New Privacy Policy, Check out what's clicking on FoxBusiness.com. THIS IS the horrifying moment a desperate factory worker jumped into a super-heated 900C steel furnace after allegedly losing 6,000 on the stock market. "Producing more than 150,000 tons each year, Caterpillar's foundry is one of the nation's largest and they should be acutely aware of industry regulations to protect workers using smelters and other dangerous equipment.". Steven Dierkes, of Peoria, Illinois, was. I've moved away from my family. Half of 39-year-old Steven Dierkess body was found lying on the floor after he supposedly fell into a crucible containing the molten iron, which was roughly 2,600 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the New York Post. The company was established in 1867 in the Nicetown area of Germantown, Philadelphia by William Butcher. Place is dangerous AF and doesn't leave much room for stupid even with all the safety regs. Catch up on the developing stories making headlines. We feel deeply sorry for his death. That job was sent out to a contractor and they continued to do that very same job in that very same spot on the floor, with the very same equipment that our people did., Caterpillar outsourced work in order to reduce workers compensation payments, Mitchell alleged. We naturally grew up together. He and his family are in all of our thoughts and prayers. The death of the worker has gone unacknowledged by the UAW International so far. A man was killed instantly at work after tripping and falling into a vat of molten iron which was almost 1,500C. So, I guess that's somewhat comforting. 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. In 2013, a line at our foundry was eliminated. 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." It was. According to OSHA, Caterpillar Inc. has received a violation and faces $145,027 worth in fines. A federal investigation determined that, if proper safety guards had been installed, the death could have been avoided, OSHA said. 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. The unidentified worker explained: He died instantly, but not all of him went in. 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. "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's regional administrator Bill Donovan in Chicago. He allegedly fell 20 feet while climbing a ladder. The five injured employees were standing around the pit, Cambria County . Police have ruled Wangs death a suicide. Tom Wood. I havent seen the melting area in years, let alone the melt deck itself, so I cannot report what conditions are like. 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. Last December, Scott Adams of East Peoria fell to his death. The company would "continue to engage with OSHA to seek an appropriate resolution to its review," the spokesperson added. Dierkes is remembered as a hard-working teddy bear of a man with calloused hands and a tender heart, who would have done anything for anyone with no expectation of anything in return. Repeated violations result in higher fines. A 39-year-old worker on just his ninth day on the job at a Caterpillar-operated foundry in Mapleton, Illinois, died after falling into a vat of molten iron. Dierkes death was the third in 30 years since Ron had started working there. Copyright 2023 ABC News Internet Ventures. The crane began moving and struck the employee. The UAW has done nothing to stop the increasing safety hazards happening, as the repeat violations and injuries at the facility reveal. 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. A spokesperson for the foundry Lisa Miller, said: We are deeply saddened by the death of an employee who was involved in a serious incident at our Mapleton, Illinois, facility on June 2., Our thoughts are with this employees family, friends and colleagues. I havent seen the melting area in years, let alone the melt deck itself, so I cannot report what conditions are like. Steven Dierkes, of Peoria, Illinois, died. An Illinois man died instantly after tripping and partially falling into a vat of molten iron. Industrial accident: Man falls into machine while at work. An Illinois man died instantly after tripping and partially falling into a vat of molten iron. Steven Dierkes, 39, from Peoria, who was working alongside a crucible at iron-melting factory Caterpillar Mapleton Foundry died due to an occupational accident last Thursday, Peoria County Sheriffs Office Captain Chris Watkins said. 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. Come here for an animated look at viral headlines, US . What are we going to do? He was fired for not letting the part fall., Mitchell reported that since Caterpillar eliminated a line at the foundry in 2013, the company made the conditions even more dangerous. Mitchell said guards had been installed, if proper safety guards had been installed, if have! 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