Coroner: Employee died within seconds in Strong Spas accident
POINT TOWNSHIP — A Shamokin Dam man died within seconds after a 1,200-pound metal spa mold fell on him Wednesday morning, according to Northumberland County Coroner James F. Kelley.
Kelley said Anthony Parsons, 20, of Shamokin Dam, died of blunt force trauma to the chest after being entrapped in the mold while he was working at Strong Spas, located along Route 11. "Cause of death was listed as blunt force trauma to the chest due to entrapment in a spa metal mold.”
Kelley said an autopsy performed Thursday by Dr. Samuel Land, of Forensic Pathology Associates, Allentown, showed Parsons had significant internal injuries. He had been pronounced dead at 8:50 a.m. Wednesday after what Kelley described as a work accident.
Family, friends and coworkers expressed shock at Parsons’ death on his Facebook page. His uncle is raising money to help defray funeral expenses on www.gofundme.com.
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Swimming Pool Manufacturing Worker Killed After Being Trapped Under 1,200-Pound Mold
April 27, 2017 8:09 PM
NORTHUMBERLAND, Pa. (CBS/AP) — A new employee at a Pennsylvania swimming pool manufacturing company has been killed after he was trapped under a 1,200-pound mold.
The (Sunbury) Daily Item reports the Northumberland County coroner planned an autopsy Thursday on the 20-year-old worker, whose name wasn’t immediately released.
The man was killed Wednesday about 7:30 a.m. at Strong Industries Pool and Spas in Point Township. That’s about 55 miles north of Harrisburg.
Wade Spicer, the company’s owner, says the death is the first at the company since it opened in 1992.
“We did everything we could do to try to save him,” Spicer told The Daily Item.
Spicer added to The Daily Item he “had no idea why the employee was caught under the mold. He should not have run into the mold. There was nothing wrong with the equipment, there was no machine error.”
Spicer says he’s reviewed security video of the incident and says the worker leaned into the mold and may have done so after dropping something, possibly his cellphone. Spicer says the worker was wearing ear buds and might not have heard any warnings.
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UPDATE: Fatal industrial accident victim had worked for a month
By Rick Dandes The Daily Item
Apr 26, 2017 Updated Apr 26, 2017
This story was updated at 5:12 p.m. April 26.
POINT TOWNSHIP — A 20 year-old employee at Strong Industries Pool and Spas died Wednesday morning after he was crushed underneath a 1,200-pound mold.
Northumberland County Coroner James F. Kelley confirmed the death Wednesday morning.
"The accident happened at 7:31 a.m.," said Wade Spicer, owner, Strong Industries. "We did everything we could do to try to save him."
It was the first work-related death at Strong Industries since it opened in 1992, Spicer said.
Point Township Police Chief Joshua VanKirk responded to the accident. Kelley was called to the scene and pronounced the man dead at 8:50 a.m.
Kelley has not yet released the victim's identity. "His parents, who are from Alabama, wish to inform additional relatives."
The employee had only been working at Strong Industries for a month, Spicer said.
"The 'nature of his death' is that it is 'work-force related'," Kelley said in an email Wednesday. "Therefore, I believe an autopsy is warranted."
The autopsy will be conducted today, at Lehigh Valley Hospital, Kelley said.
Spicer said he "had no idea why the employee was caught under the mold. He should not have run into the mold. There was nothing wrong with the equipment, there was no machine error."
Spicer, and others, looked at a video of the accident, he said. "He leaned into the mold. It was being lowered. Maybe he dropped something, perhaps a cellphone, I'm not sure."
The employee was wearing ear buds, and might not have heard any last-second warnings, Spicer said, shaking his head. "He might have been listening to music. I just can't say.
"This is a very sad day," Spicer said.
Friends of the employee who lost his life have started a Go Fund Me campaign to pay for funeral expenses. Their goal is to raise $1,000, the Go Fund Me page reads.
Relatives and friends have been expressing their feelings on the employee's personal Facebook page as well.When the family agrees to release the name of the deceased, the Daily Item will have more information
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An employee was crushed to death by a heavy mold at a spa and pool factory in Pennsylvania Wednesday morning.
The 20-year-old worker came into contact with a 1,200-pound pool mold that quickly crushed him underneath it. The employee worked at Strong Industries Pool and Spas for just a month, owner Wade Spicer told the Daily Item. A camera caught the incident on video.
“He leaned into the mold. It was being lowered,” Spicer elaborated. “Maybe he dropped something, perhaps a cell phone, I’m not sure.” Spicer said the employee wore earbuds at the time of the accident. He also mentioned Strong Spas has never had a workplace death.
Coming into contact with dangerous objects is the third-highest contributor to workplace fatalities in America. Properly training and maintaining policies designed to guarantee the safety of your workers are some of the ways you can avoid accidents in the workplace, according to the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Proactive prevention programs are highly effective at reducing injury or death.
Workers’ Comp Covers Your Injuries
Workers injured on the job are almost universally covered by an insurance policy called “workers’ compensation” carried by your employer. Pennsylvania’s laws are particularly strict, requiring employers to carry workers’ compensation even if they employ just one individual.
However, plans come from a variety of sources. Pennsylvania employers can purchase coverage from an insurance agent or broker, apply for coverage from a private-sector carrier with a workers’ comp policy, utilize the State Workers’ Insurance Fund, or insure themselves. These options differ state to state, and each state and option may have different procedures.
Workers’ compensation claims generally require an “independent medical examination” conducted by doctors who work with insurance companies. These IMEs can limit the company’s liability and decrease your chances for a reasonable payout, a common practice for workers’ compensation insurers.
Receiving compensation for an injury on the job can be difficult without the assistance of an attorney. You can seek workers’ compensation for many injuries, ranging from serious injuries like broken bones to more common injuries like hearing loss or tendonitis. Employees can also bring claims against third parties like manufacturers or contractors if they believe their injuries are due to the negligence of another company.
In severe circumstances, your loved one may have died because of injuries sustained on the job. You can seek help investigating an accident leading to a workplace fatality and the potential for employer negligence at the facility. Workplace accidents are a common instance leading to wrongful death lawsuits.
As for the accident at Strong Spas, the coroner conducted an autopsy at Lehigh Valley Hospital but hasn’t released the results yet. Friends of the employee set up a GoFundMe page for funeral expenses.