A 45-year-old worker was killed Monday after he was crushed by pallets at a central Florida mushroom plant.
The Orlando Sentinel, citing the Orange County Sheriff's Office, reported that Bruce Edward Stephenson Jr. was moving pallets of mushrooms with a forklift at the Monterey Mushrooms facility in Zellwood when the load shifted and fell.
The pallets struck Stephenson as he tried to flee. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital.
The sheriff's office and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration are reportedly investigating the incident. Monterey officials indicated that they could not comment in detail due to the "ongoing investigation."
The Sentinel noted that OSHA levied a $6,000 penalty against Monterey late last year over a fall hazard. The investigation was reportedly prompted by a forklift safety complaint.
Jeannie Economos of the Farm Workers Association of Florida told the paper that the group received complaints about Monterey Mushrooms "for years."
