A 62-year-old employee at a Santa Fe Srpings packing factory was “cooked to death in a machine used to make tinned tuna.”
Safety officials said Jose Melena, 62, was accidentally cooked in a “steamer machine” at the seafood canning company’s plant that is located in an industrial park.
California Division of Occupational Safety and Health spokeswoman Erika Monterroza told media outlets that it was unclear how Melena ended up inside the oven.
Cal-OSHA has launched an investigation into the accident which it plans to complete in six months.
Bumble Bee Foods spokesman Pat Menke expressed condolences to Melena’s family in a written statement. Menke says operations at the canning facility will be suspended until Monday.
–Randy Economy
