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BMW contract worker died from open head trauma, coroner says
Haley Walters, The Greenville News
March 29, 2018
South Carolina labor officials are investigating the death of a BMW contract worker at the company's manufacturing facility in Greer.
The South Carolina OSHA investigation is expected to last at least eight weeks.
OSHA investigators were at BMW on Wednesday to search for any safety violations that could have contributed to the death of 45-year-old Bojan Sprah, state OSHA spokesperson Lesia Kudelka said.
Sprah, from Slovenia, was employed by German equipment supplier Loedige and was contracted to work at BMW, Spartanburg County Coroner Rusty Clevenger said.
Sprah's death was caused by open head trauma, secondary to blunt force trauma and entrapment in moving machinery, Clevenger said. Toxicology reports are pending.
"I do not have info that he was impaired in any way at this time," Clevenger said in an email.
Sprah was working in BMW's paint shop, which was shut down Wednesday.
In the coming weeks, OSHA investigators will examine the equipment, conduct interviews, speak to BMW management and review safety training logs. Kudelka said the findings of the investigation will be made public once it's closed.
The last reported workplace fatality at BMW in Greer was in February 2016 when Ronnie Lee Hall Jr., a 55-year-old contract worker, fell to his death during a construction job at the plant.
Since 2008, two safety complaints against BMW in Greer were filed with OSHA, one of which resulted in the discovery of a noise violation, according to OSHA records.
An OSHA inspection in 2012 revealed 32 initial safety violations, later reduced to 18, including citations for unsafe wiring, flammable liquids and general safety rules. BMW was fined $20,900 as a result.
Last year, South Carolina had a total of 15 workplace deaths investigated by OSHA.
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Coroner identifies man killed in paint shop at BMW March 28, 2018
By Amanda Shaw
GREER, SC (FOX Carolina) -
First responders were called to the scene of an accidental death at the BMW manufacturing plant in Spartanburg County on Wednesday.
The call came in around 10:27 a.m. regarding an injury at the plant on Highway 101, dispatch said. The Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office, the Spartanburg County Coroner's Office, Pelham-Batesville Fire Department and EMS were on scene.
A BMW spokesperson issued a statement saying there was an accidental death in one of the facility's paint shops and it is under investigation by deputies.
The assistant fire chief for Pelham-Batesville said the male worker was injured by a piece of machinery in the paint shop. The shop has stopped operations during the investigation.
The worker was a private contractor who was working on BMW equipment, the Spartanburg County coroner said.
The coroner identified the worker as 45-year-old Bojan Sprah of Boiling Springs.
Read the full statement from BMW below:
The Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office is investigating an accidental death at BMW Manufacturing. The death occurred in one of our paint shops. The paint shop has stopped operation as the investigation continues. When the accident occurred, BMW first responders were immediately called to provide aid. Pelham-Batesville EMS also responded. Since this is an active investigation, BMW is not able to comment further at this time.
South Carolina OSHA said an investigator is on site to determine if any violations may have contributed to the incident.