Employee Killed in Industrial Accident at Suburban Concrete Plant

An employee was killed Monday afternoon in an industrial accident at an Ozinga concrete plant in southwest suburban Lemont.

The accident happened at 1:44 p.m. Monday at 11400 Old Lemont Road, near the Chicago Shipping and Sanitary Canal, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

The man, identified as 30-year-old Michael James McClaren of Naperville, was pronounced dead at 2:15 p.m., the medical examiner’s office said.

An autopsy Tuesday found McClaren died from multiple injuries from an industrial accident. The person’s identity was being withheld pending notification of family.

A statement from Ozinga referred to the person as an employee of the company.

“We are deeply saddened by this tragic event,” company President Marty Ozinga said in the statement. “We are working with officials to determine the cause of the accident. The Ozinga family extends our sincerest condolences to the family and friends of our coworker.”

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating the accident.

According to a statement from OSHA, “an employee operator was fatally injured when the hopper used to supply material to a conveyor collapsed striking the employee.”

Lemont police did not respond to requests for comment.

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