He gets stuck in a machine, a 50-year-old worker dies crushed at the Kme in Fornaci di Barga

Yet another accident at work in Italy. A worker died this afternoon, Wednesday 15 May, at Kme Europametalli Barga furnaces, in the province of Lucca. He would have been stuck in a machine in the rolling mill department.

The accident occurred shortly before 7pm. The victim’s name was Nicholas Short and he was 50 years old. The 118 health workers arrived on site with the ambulance but the staff were only able to confirm the death. According to initial reconstructions, the worker was alone when he was crushed by two rollers of the rolling mill machinery. To find it would have been a colleague: he immediately raised the alarm but there was nothing left to do for the 50-year-old.

Health workers sent by 118 arrived on site and confirmed the death of the worker. Remember that Kme Europametalli of Fornaci di Barga (Lucca) is one metallurgical company for the processing of copper, where over 600 workers are employed. The company expressed its condolences and sorrow for the incident and is awaiting the authorities’ investigations into the accident. Short he leaves behind his partner and a daughterhad worked at the plant for many years and was considered expert in his duties.

“Now stop, this massacre must stop. We can no longer tolerate the inaction of the national government on the issue of safety at work: serious and structural measures are needed immediately, such as the introduction of a special prosecutor’s office and the crime of murder at work, the hiring of more inspectors to increase controls, a system that prevents those who violate safety regulations from continuing to work. The necessary resources must be found promptly, as has been done on other occasions by the same executive”, was the comment of Uil Tuscany, through its regional secretary Paolo Fantappiè, who added: “Nicola was a our signed up, who we knew well given his important trade union commitment in our organization. We are astonished by his passing and as Uil Toscana we offer our deepest condolences and a strong hug to his family and loved ones.”

Only a few hours ago a similar accident occurred in Biella. A 58-year-old worker, in charge of the analysis and sampling laboratory, got her right arm and hand caught in a roller while she was cleaning a machine in operation for carding wool at Pantex in via Monte Grappa, in Vigliano.

Also today and always in Tuscany, a 62-year-old worker was injured in the lower limbs inside a construction site located along the Via Emilia, in the municipality of Forte dei Marmi (Lucca). The injured man was on a excavator to bring down some trees for the reclamation of land on which a building is to be built. While he was working, the trunk of a plant fell onto the cab of the mechanical vehicle. Initially it seemed that the injury could be more serious than it fortunately turned out to be, so much so that the Pegaso helicopter was alerted.