Man dies in workplace accident at Michigan automotive manufacturing facility

By Sara Powers

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    JACKSON COUNTY, Michigan (WWJ) — A 36-year-old man died after an equipment malfunction at a Michigan automotive manufacturing facility, just days before the facility was scheduled to begin the closing process, officials said.

On Monday, deputies responded to Dexter Stamping at 1013 Thorrez Road in Jackson County after receiving a report of a dead employee.

The worker, a die setter, was transporting and lifting a die with a crane when the swivel bolt broke, according to the Labor and Economic Opportunity.

This caused the corner of the die to strike the ground and the top half to separate, crushing the man. The incident report revealed that the swivel bolt wasn’t fully threaded into the die.

The incident happened just days before the facility was scheduled to close permanently. The first round of layoffs was planned for July 17, with the final layoffs happening by July 31.

All employees at the facility are impacted by this closure, according to the automotive manufacturing facility.

So far this year, there have been 14 workplace deaths reported to the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA).

There were 36 workplace-related deaths in 2023, and the lowest number of workplace deaths in a year was in 2009, with 24 deaths.

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