Construction Accidents: Lawsuit Filed Over Worker's Death

Molly M. Glover, 53, was crushed on August 24 at Insulfoam by a machine that cuts and crushes large blocks of Styrofoam. Glover's husband and two former Insulfoam employees allege that Insulfoam knowingly used machinery in an unsafe manner and have filed a lawsuit seeking unspecified damages on Glover's behalf. The lawsuit goes on the say that Insulfoam and its staff "removed or circumvented" safety guards in order to turn off the cutting machines during cleaning. Such an action violates federal law and safety rules.

Worker's Death Prompts Lawsuit

Glover was a temporary employee at Insulfoam who worked as a forklift operator. On August 24, her second day working at Insulfoam, she was instructed to clean and unjam the cutting machine; Glover had not been trained to perform this duty. A few moments after Glover was given the order, fellow employees heard her screams and found her being crushed by the machine. Because no one was able to get the machine off Glover's head and body, the machine "continued to crush down on the body, chest, and head while she was alive and conscious for at least ten minutes." The Obetz plant where the incident took place is one of fifteen owned by Premier Industries of Tacoma, Washington.