An incident yesterday at the Campbell Soup factory in Maxton, North Carolina claimed the life of one worker and injured another who tried to help him.
According to a press release issued by Robeson County Sheriff Kenneth Sealey, 59-year-old Alex Radford died after being pinned by a dumpster at a loading dock. Radford had been attempting to dump a smaller dumpster into a larger one when the smaller dumpster "jumped off track of the forklift" that Radford was using. When Radford attempted to correct the problem, the dumpster fell, pinning him. When a co-worker attempted to help Radford, "the dumpster shifted, pinning both individuals."
The co-worker was airlifted to a hospital, according to news sources.
All shifts at the plant are reportedly closed today and the company is making grief counselors available to employees.
Campbell Soup says it is the first fatality at the plant since it opened in 1979.
The North Carolina Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Division, said it will conduct an investigation into the incident.