Worker Dies in Factory Oven
The body of an employee was discovered in a tuna factory oven.
A California worker was cooked to death in a seafood plant. Local OSHA authorities are now investigating the death of the employee. He became trapped in a steamer used to sterilize canned tuna at the Bumble Bee Foods tuna canning plant in Santa Fe Springs, Calif.
Early last Thursday morning, authorities responded to the emergency and Jose Melena was pronounced dead at the scene. He had been working an overnight shift and his body was discovered by workers around 7 a.m.
According to Cal-OSHA policy, the investigation will be conducted within the next six months. Operations were suspended until Monday to accommodate for investigators.
It is still unclear how Melena became trapped in the cooking device.
“The entire Bumble Bee Foods family is saddened by the tragic loss of our colleague, and our thoughts and prayers are with the Melena family," Pat Menke, Bumble Bee Foods vice president of human resources, said in a statement.