Federal Safety Regulators Hit Louisiana Critical Metals Plant Hard after Worker Killed in Horrific Workplace Accident
A critical metals plant located near Gramercy, Louisiana, finds itself in the midst of a federal safety investigation, and a resulting whopping 60 new federal safety violations after the horrific death of one of its workers earlier this year in the fall. According to NOLA.com, the Altaco Gramercy Plant has been accused of “repeated failures to comply” with federal safety standards and regulations, resulting in the death of one worker in a gruesome and terrible way.
On August 4 of this year, 45-year-old Curtis Ray Diggs was working for his employer Waste Pro at the Plant when he accidentally stepped into an opening in the Plant floor that was filled with caustic liquid and hot water. Diggs had been vacuuming up the 55 gallons of caustic liquid that was in the hole when the fatal accident occurred. Although reports indicate that Diggs was able to catch himself on the grate that was partially covering the hole, the bottom-half of his body was submerged in the liquid. He was taken to the hospital for emergency medical treatment, but he later died from his injuries on September 2. Later, a Department of Environmental Quality report on the Plant indicated that part of the grate that Diggs was supposed to use to stand on to work over the hole was missing, and a preliminary Mine and Safety Health Administration report also revealed that the opening of the hole containing the caustic liquid and water was not visible, due to the fact that the liquid had puddled.
After Diggs’ untimely and gruesome death, additional workplace accidents prompted safety agencies to issue a total of 64 orders to correct safety violations at the Plant. Indeed, after Diggs’ was involved in the fatal workplace accident while he was vacuuming, four Plant workers were burned by caustic liquid, a contractor was injured while hydro-blasting at the Plant, and another contractor fell from scaffolding. Investigations into the safety conditions at the plant are reported to be ongoing.
Louisiana Workers’ Compensation Benefits Help Most Injured Workers Involved in Serious Workplace Accidents
Louisiana workplaces should be safe places for workers to do their jobs. When a worker is injured at work in Louisiana, they may be entitled to important workers’ compensation benefits to help get them back on their feet after a serious injury, and back to their regular work and lives. Workers’ compensation benefits in Louisiana may include things like wage replacement compensation, medical expense reimbursement, vocational rehabilitation training, and more. In order to determine whether you may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits for your on-the-job injury, it is best to speak with an experienced Louisiana workers’ compensation lawyer about your case.
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Source:
nola.com/news/business/st-james-plant-scrutiny/article_80f2c77a-b337-11ef-b607-9f40afc08cc2.html
