The death of a West Peoria man at Caterpillar’s Mapleton foundry on June 6 marks the latest in a series of incidents at the facility that have caused concern regarding safety practices.

The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration has fined the company and various contractors working at the facility for two separate incidents in which it was discovered that they had not ensured the safety of the affected workers before they were killed.

In light of the most recent incident, here’s a look at the prior accidents and their aftermath:

Dec. 23, 2021

A 50-year-old man working as a contractor for Schaefer Electric was killed at the foundry when he stepped off a ladder and fell more than 20 feet to the floor below.

Scott W. Adams of Germantown Hills was an electrician with the company for 27 years, having gone through the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers’ five-year apprenticeship program before being hired.

OSHA opened an investigation into the incident.

Caterpillar said in a statement that they were “deeply saddened” by Adams’ death and made sure to “strive each day to have a safe workspace for our employees, contractors and visitors.”

Foundry accident: West Peoria man identified as person killed in Caterpillar foundry fire in Mapleton

June 2, 2022

Steven Dierkes, a 39-year-old Peoria man, was killed when he accidentally fell into a crucible. Peoria County sheriff’s deputies had been called to the facility around 10 a.m. that morning to respond to the incident.

Peoria County Coroner Jamie Harwood said that Dierkes died instantly after falling into the liquid metal below, but that no foul play was suspected in the incident.

Dierkes had been in the manufacturing industry for much of his life and was a graduate of the Illinois Welding School.

OSHA began a further investigation into Caterpillar and the incident.

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June 27, 2022

OSHA released its report into Adams’ death, citing both Schaefer and Illinois Crane for failing to ensure employees’ safety as required by federal law.

The agency’s investigation revealed that Illinois Crane failed to protect Adams by not providing personal fall arrest systems, adequate floor hole covers or a guardrail system. Schaefer was cited for not evaluating the site for hazards and for not training workers to recognize potential falls or take appropriate precautions to ensure their safety.

Combined, the two companies were fined a total of $97,167 as a result of the investigation.

Nov. 9, 2022

OSHA’s report into Dierkes’ death cited Caterpillar for not having appropriate safety measures that could have prevented his death.

The agency said that the company “routinely exposed employees to unprotected fall hazards as they worked within four feet of deep ceramic containers of super-heated molten iron.” The company was also accused of not installing a guardrail that could have saved Dierkes’ life.

Facing a fine of $145,027, OSHA’s area director Christine Zortman said that Caterpillar provided needless grief for Dierkes’ family.

“Caterpillar’s failure to meet its legal responsibilities to ensure the safety and health of workers leaves this worker’s family, friends and co-workers to grieve needlessly,” Zortman said.

Caterpillar spokesperson Lisa Miller said that they would work with OSHA on resolving the situation.

Fatal accident: Peoria man identified as the person who died at Caterpillar foundry in Mapleton

June 6, 2024

Daulton Simmers, a 28-year-old from West Peoria, was killed at the foundry after he was trying to transfer molten metal from a large furnace into a smaller pot. According to Peoria County Sheriff Chris Watkins, the metal spilled out and engulfed him in flames.

According to Harwood, Simmers likely died within seconds and suffered severe thermal burns as a result.

Caterpillar said in a statement that they were “deeply saddened” by Simmers’ death and that they would be cooperating with authorities during their investigation.

OSHA is now investigating the third death in three years to take place at the Mapleton foundry, one of the largest of its kind in the U.S. It employs over 800 employees, according to the company.

Accident fines: OSHA cites 2 contractors in connection with 2021 death at Caterpillar foundry in Mapleton

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Deadly incidents at Caterpillar Mapleton foundry near Peoria, IL