Worked Crushed to Death

Brandon Johnson, 30, was crushed to death this morning at the non-union Gibbons Steel steel-processing plant at Armorel in Northeast Arkansas.

A Mississippi County Sheriff's Office report said Johnson was working at a table that holds large steel coils weighing approximately 3,000 pounds. The report said the table, which was tilted up, apparently fell on Johnson shortly before 7:45 a.m., pinning the lower half of his body to the floor. Fellow workers got a forklift, removed the table from Johnson and began first-aid procedures. Johnson was taken to Great River Medical Center at nearby Blytheville, where he was pronounced dead at 8:30 a.m.

Decades of struggle by workers and their unions have resulted in significant improvements in working conditions, but the toll of workplace injuries, illnesses and deaths remains enormous. In 2005, 4.2 million workers were injured and 5,734 workers were killed due to job hazards. Another 50,000-60,000 died due to occupational diseases. For additional information about workplace injuries and fatalities, download Death on the Job: The Toll of Neglect.

"An Injury to One Is an Injury to All."