Authorities Examining Why Concrete Mixer Turned On, Killing Alabama Worker

An Alabama worker died from blunt force trauma after he he was performing maintenance inside an industrial concrete mixer, a coronor has determined.

The investigation is continuing into the death of Edgar Earl Davis IV, age 29, who was pronounced dead at the scene earlier this month, according to news reports. Davis was believed to be using an air-powered chisel to remove concrete inside the Infinite Precast facility in Trussville, Alabama.

The power to the mixer was apparently turned off while Davis was inside the machine, a Trussville police officer told news outlets. Davis, the father of two young children, was a certified operator and an authorized user, Al.com reported.

Authorities have not said if the factory was following “lock-out, tag-out” procedures designed to prevent industrial machines from being energized while workers are inside them or are performing maintenance.

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration has estimated that proper lock-out procedures prevent some 120 fatalities and 50,000 injuries in the United States each year.

Topics Alabama