NEED TO KNOW
- Authorities were notified about a fatal industrial accident at the Bayway Chemical Plant in Linden, N.J., on Jan. 19
- A private subcontractor was found dead inside a 6,000-gallon vat after he fell in while it was being filled with mineral oil, police said
- “Detectives believe that the man was on top of the container when he accidently [sic] fell inside while working,” the department said of the victim
Officials said a 71-year-old worker from New Jersey was found dead in a bulk liquid container in what is being described as a workplace accident.
The incident happened on Monday, Jan. 19, at the Bayway Chemical Plant in Linden, N.J., the Linden Police Department and Infineum, a chemical company that operates the facility, stated in separate news releases.
Police said that first responders were summoned to the plant at about 2 p.m. local time following reports of a fatal industrial accident.
“Detectives believe that the man was on top of the container when he accidently [sic] fell inside while working,” the department said of the victim, who was identified as a private subcontractor from Iselin, N.J.
Authorities said the 6,000-gallon container was being filled with mineral oil at the time of the incident.
Fire personnel retrieved the victim from the vat, police said, adding that he was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities have not disclosed the man’s name.
Infineum addressed the tragedy in a statement shared to its website on Tuesday, Jan. 20.
“At Infineum, one of our goals is to maintain a safe workplace, to ensure that workplace hazards are eliminated or mitigated, and to ensure that each individual working at our site is trained to perform his or her daily duties safely,” the company’s statement began.
“Sadly, there are times when something happens, and unfortunately, that is the case today. Our hearts are heavy with the news that we must deliver to you at this time about the loss of life at our facility,” the statement continued.
“We extend our deepest sympathy to those who have lost a family member or friend,” Infineum later added.
The plant is serving as a lubricant additive production facility, Infineum stated.
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Linden Police said it is leading the investigation while the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has launched its own separate probe into the matter.
Infineum also said the company is doing its own investigation “to determine exactly what happened, why it happened, and how we can keep this from happening again.”
The company also said it is cooperating with authorities.
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