John Deere foundry worker electrocuted - Is this a lock-out-tag-out safety issue?

It appears the worker who was electrocuted at the John Deere Waterloo facility has died. The man, Daniel Gerdman, 22-years-of-age died on Tuesday while working at the foundry. Working on some lighting he was electrocuted. OSHA is investigating the incident. Gerdman was found at around 11:30 a.m.

Most people probably wonder why did this happen?  There is a simple answer that we've effectively advanced in may litigated cases. We just posted another blog about an electrician from Des Moines who died from being electrocuted on a job in Cedar Rapids. He was 24-years-old. Here is my article on the Injuryboard.com.

What might have prevented this 24-year-old Des Moines electrician from being killed by electrocution?

What caused the death of a 24 year old Des Moines electrician? That was the question surrounding the death of Chris Turney but now the autopsy has revealed that it was in fact caused by electrocution. Mr. Turney was standing on a metal scaffold working with electrical wires at the Hy-Vee under construction at College Square Mall in Cedar Rapids when it happened. OSHA is currently investigating and one has to ask how does something like this happen? The company Mr. Turney worked for; Kline Electric of Ankeny, was hired to install the new wiring for the store. Was this caused by a mistake of a co-worker, did Mr. Turney have proper training to be working in the area he was, or was this just a freak accident? Whatever the reason this is another regrettable example of the preventable loss of a young man in the workplace.

These are all preventable. Like the Turney electrocution, Gerdman’s dependents are also entitled to work comp. benefits and should investigate a third-party case.

See also my post on the Lombardi Law Firm website blog.  My news item contains a different video on lock-out tag-out safety rules.

Did this 24-year-old Iowa electrician die needlessly?