Industrial Accident Fatal to Man, 38

A 38-year-old man died Thursday of injuries suffered when his head was caught in an industrial press used to make skylight panels.

Firefighters were called about 7:30 a.m. Thursday to Bristol Fiberlite Industries, 401 E. Goetz Ave., where a man bleeding from his head was being helped by his friends, Fire Capt. John Perez said.

The worker, whose name was being withheld pending notification of relatives, had a faint pulse but was not breathing when paramedics arrived at the scene, and rescuers had to administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation as he was being taken to the hospital, Perez said.

The worker died shortly after arriving at Western Medical Center-Santa Ana.

The California Occupational Safety and Health Administration sent investigators to Fiberlite about 9 a.m., said Rick Rice, a spokesman with the state Department of Industrial Relations.

After interviewing Fiberlite employees and studying the industrial press involved in the accident, Cal-OSHA expects to have a report in two to four weeks, Rice said.

“One of the things we have to see is if there were mechanical guards or lockout procedures on the machine to prevent this kind of accident from happening,” Rice said.