INDIANA OFFICIALS INVESTIGATING ON THE JOB DEATH OF HENDRICKS COUNTY MAN
The Indiana Occupational Safety and Health Administration is looking into Wednesday's apparent Work Comp related death of a Hendricks County man at Royal Food Products on Indianapolis's Near Eastside. 50-year old Alan Beaty was a 30-year employee at the plant who died when the forklift he was driving plunged almost 15 feet through the floor and landed in the basement.
As described in the Indy Star article, "Officials to Investigate Forklift Operator's Death," Beaty's forklift weighed about 8,000 pounds as the employee was transporting vegetable oil. The Indianapolis Fire Department's spokesperson says large debris fell on top of the victim after he fell through the floor. The Marion County coroner's office is investigating to pinpoint the exact cause of this on the job death.
The Indianapolis plant is closed while repairs are made to the roughly 30-foot hole the deadly crash created. Meanwhile, the Indiana Occupational Safety and Health Administration will look into the fatal accident. Royal Food Products' president told Indiana investigators Beaty was operating the forklift in an area that clearly showed it could not handle heavy machinery because the floor was not reinforced to hold a large amount of weight.
This apparent Work Comp related death leaves Beaty's children without a father. The longtime employee leaves behind two sons and a daughter, all in their 20's.
Unfortunately, operating a forklift is dangerous and at times, can be deadly. According to www.toolboxtopics.com, the United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration estimates forklifts cause about 85 deadly accidents a year. OSHA also found forklifts are involved in about 35,000 accidents a year that cause a serious injury.
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