A production engineer was electrocuted last month at Montaplast, an auto parts factory in Frankfort, Ky. Another employee, whose name has not been released, was also injured in the accident. The two men were shocked on the job on Oct. 17. The one who was injured was able to walk to the ambulance, but Benjamin Cermak, 23, died.
According to a report from WKYT, this was the second fatal accident at Montaplast in less than a week. On Oct. 13, two people were injured in an overhead crane accident. One of those injured, 35-year-old Angela Mitchell, died.
The vice president of the factory issued a statement on Oct. 19 addressing their deaths and the temporary closing of the plant. According to the Lexington Herald Leader, Holger Ramcke, vice president of Montaplast of North America, reiterated that “the safety and security of every employee at Montaplast is of the utmost priority to us.”
“We feel it is important for the community to understand what we have done after these accidents. Once we voluntarily shut down the facility the afternoon of October 17, we began the important process of inspecting every piece of equipment. We engaged outside, third-party investigators to inspect our equipment at the same time governmental authorities were present investigating the accidents,” Ramcke wrote.
The plant reopened on Oct. 19 after the facility was checked.
The Kentucky Labor Cabinet is investigating the two accidents.
