Worker dies in accident at the Ford assembly
plant in Claycomo, KS when he was struck by a piece of equipment
A worker at the Ford Motor Co. assembly plant in
Claycomo was accidentally struck by a piece of equipment and killed there
Tuesday morning.
Ford officials did not identify the worker, who died in
what they said was an “occupational incident.” They gave no information about
where in the plant the accident occurred or any details about what caused it.
The incident was reported to the Occupational Safety and
Health Administration, which has started an investigation, including taking
photos at the plant and interviewing workers, said Bonita Winingham, OSHA’s
acting area regional administrator for the Kansas City area.
Winingham said OSHA learned that the worker was struck
by a piece of equipment but did not say what it was being used for.
“I believe they are building a new assembly line in
Claycomo, and a piece of equipment struck and killed this worker,” Winingham
said.
Tuesday’s construction-related death is the second in
which a worker was struck by a piece of equipment since Oct. 1 in Missouri,
Winingham said. Three such deaths occurred in the state from Oct. 1, 2013, to
Sept. 30, 2014.
“These are tragic and preventable deaths,” Winingham
said. “We want to express our condolences to the friends and family of the
worker.”
Ford officials issued this statement through a
spokesperson for the company: “We are deeply saddened as a Ford Kansas City
Assembly Plant worker passed away (Tuesday) morning due to an occupational
incident. The safety and security of our team members always is our number one
priority. We are launching a full investigation into this matter.”
