Man dies at waste facility near Disney after falling into vat of oil

Worker was emptying oil and grease from a tractor-trailer when he slipped and fell.

A 61-year-old employee of a clean energy firm has died after slipping and falling into a container of oil. The incident happened near Walt Disney World in Florida.

Local news outlets reported that the facility is part of a district created to provide municipal services to the Disney theme park.

The man reportedly become overcome by fumes and slipped further into the oil, making it impossible for him to be rescued.

His body was recovered by the Reedy Creek Fire Department and the man has not yet been named.

A full investigation has been launched into what has been described as a ‘tragic accident’.

The man worked for Harvest Power, a Massachusetts-based company that converts food waste and yard waste into biofuel, compost, mulch and fertilizer.

A Harvest Power spokeswoman said: “We’re all deeply saddened by the loss of this co-worker. We are in shock and grief, figuring out what happened.

“We co-ordinated a pause in all operations for a moment of silence, and a reflection on the need for safety in our operations.”

Last month, SHP reported that waste disposal has the highest fatality at work rate of any industrial sector.

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In this episode of the Safety & Health Podcast, we hear from Matt Birtles, Principal Ergonomics Consultant at HSE’s Science and Research Centre, about the different approaches to managing the risks associated with Musculoskeletal disorders.

Matt, an ergonomics and human factors expert, shares his thoughts on why MSDs are important, the various prevalent rates across the UK, what you can do within your own organisation and the Risk Management process surrounding MSD’s.

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