RICHMOND TWP., Pa. - Authorities have identified the man who died on the job in Berks County on Wednesday.
Christopher Leasure was doing electrical work at the East Penn Manufacturing plant at 147 Deka Road in Richmond Township when he came in contact with a high-voltage wire, officials said.
Leasure, 45, of East Cocalico Township, Lancaster County, was rushed to Lehigh Valley Hospital near Allentown, where he died shortly before 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, according to the Lehigh County coroner.
An autopsy done Thursday morning determined Leasure's death to be accidental as the result of electrocution, the coroner said.
Leasure was a contractor working for B.J. Baldwin Electric Inc. in Narvon and not an East Penn employee, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), which said it had an inspector on site Thursday to investigate the incident.
East Penn’s extensive product line includes more than 450 types of batteries and related products serving four key segments: SLI (Starting, Lighting, and Ignition), Motive Power, Stationary, and Wire and Cable. These products are supported with the industry’s most advanced recycling facilities where used lead-acid batteries are recycled and reclaimed on-site in the production of brand new battery products.
East Penn announced the progression of their new Industrial expansion building. The building is targeted to have equipment running in August of this year. This new 590,000 square foot expansion will be a multi-functional facility helping to produce products and components for Motive Power, Reserve Power, and Automotive batteries.
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Kurt Bresswein | For lehighvalleylive.com
updated October 20, 2016 at 9:18 PM
An electrical contractor working at a Berks County manufacturing site was electrocuted Wednesday, WFMZ-TV 69 reports.
Christopher Leasure, 45, of Denver, Lancaster County, came into contact with a high-voltage wire Wednesday morning at 147 Deka Road in the Fleetwood, Pennsylvania, area, according to Lehigh County Coroner Scott Grim.
Leasure was rushed to Lehigh Valley Hospital, Salisbury Township, where he was pronounced dead at 12:29 p.m.
Following an autopsy Thursday, Grim said the cause of death was electrocution and that he ruled the death an accident.
Leasure was working for B.J. Baldwin Electric Inc. at East Penn Manufacturing when the incident occurred, WFMZ reports.