A worker at the Allen Harim Foods poultry processing plant in Harbeson, Delaware, was killed on October 5 as a result of an accident at the plant.
The incident is under investigation by the Delaware State Police (DSP), according to a statement on the agency’s website.
Troopers were dispatched to the scene at 8:54 p.m., where a 59-year-old man from Bridgeville had experienced severe head trauma.
A preliminary investigation of the accident determined that the man was seriously injured as he and another employee attempted to change the battery on a pallet jack. The new replacement battery was secured in an electric hoist. While the battery was being lowered via the electric lever the corner of the new battery got hung up on the corner of another battery that was sitting stationary next to the jack. The employee was leaning forward in attempt to manually guide the new battery onto the jack away from the obstruction. After the new battery cleared the obstruction it continued to lower in a downward motion. The horizontal block portion part of the hoist struck the employee. The employee was transported by emergency medical technicians to the Beebe Hospital, where he died as a result of his injuries.
Detectives are continuing their investigation, although there are no signs of foul play. The body was turned over to the Delaware Division of Forensic Science. The name of the victim will not be released as is DSP practice when investigating these types of industrial incidents.
Allen Harim in August 2016 celebrated a “grand reopening” of the Harbeson plant, after the company decided to close its facility in Cordova, Maryland, expand the Harbeson facility, and consolidate the operations of the two plants.
Allen Harim, which earlier moved into its new headquarters in Millsboro, Delaware, processed 8.27 million pounds of ready-to-cook poultry on a weekly basis in 2017.
