A machinery accident at an Indiana plastics recycling facility has left one employee dead, according to police.
A 31-year-old worker at Plastic Recycling Inc. of Indianapolis was killed early Nov. 10 when a machine he was trying to unclog turned on with him in the unit, city police report.
“The night foreman said a machine was clogged and the victim who was maintenance went into the machine to unclog it. The machine turned on with the victim inside,” a police report states.
The victim was pronounced dead by Indianapolis Emergency Medical Services staff, police said. The accident occurred at 1:25 a.m., according to the police report.
Plastic Recycling has been in business since 1988 and the company's website indicates the firm is a large recycler of polystyrene and other materials. The company ranks No. 46 in Plastics News' survey of North American plastics recyclers.
The company provides a variety of services including shredding, grinding, pelletizing, material separation, custom compounding and finished goods manufacturing, the website indicates. Along with the 200,000-square-foot production site in Indianapolis, the company also has another 70,000-square-foot recycling facility in Jefferson City, Tenn., and warehouse space in Laredo, Texas.
The report indicated police are continuing to investigate the case.