A plastic fabrication plant in Helena is facing two misdemeanor charges and up to a $500,000 fine in connection with the death of a worker in 2017.
Catalina Estillado was killed at ABC Polymer Industries when she was pulled through spinning rollers that were used to pull plastic sheets on an assembly line, prosecutors said. Estillado had been told to cut tangles out of the plastic sheets as they came out of the machine.
The company is accused of failing to use safety guards that are required by the U.S. Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA). Prosecutors claim similar incidents had happened before when the company didn't use the guards and other workers had been hurt.
A Shelby County judge already awarded Estillado's family $3 million in a wrongful death lawsuit. ABC Polymer Industries plans to appeal the verdict to the Alabama Supreme Court.
To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email erica.thomas@1819news.com.
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