Industrial worker dies after being crushed under steel beams in VBT warehouse

A 42-year-old temporary worker went into cardiac arrest and died on Friday afternoon after being rescued from under a pile of steel in a steel supply warehouse in the 48600 block of Schooner Drive in Van Buren Township.
At 4:47 p.m., Jan. 18, the VBT Fire Department was dispatched to rescue a man involved in an industrial accident and was trapped under three steel beams.
Fire Chief Dan Besson said Engine 1, Engine 2, Rescue 1, Engine 3, Tac-1, and Chief 1 responded to the call.
While responding to the call a medical transport helicopter was requested from the University of Michigan Trauma Center, Chief Besson said.
Engine 2 and Rescue 1 arrived seven minutes later and Firefighter Angela Hayes established the Incident Command System.
Firefighters were quickly escorted to the man who was trapped under three steel beams and was suffering from extensive traumatic injuries to his legs, hips, and chest. The worker was also not conscious.
While company workers brought in another crane and worked to remove the steel from him, firefighters and Huron Valley Ambulance provided patient care and set up Advanced Life Support care.
Survival Flight landed and the flight doctor and nurses entered the warehouse to provide additional care and equipment.
As the man was freed he was quickly moved to the ambulance in order to be taken to the awaiting medical helicopter.
However, before he could be loaded into the helicopter he slipped into cardiac arrest and crews worked feverishly to get his heart started again, Chief Besson said.
Citing cardiac arrest protocols, he was transported to St. Joseph Mercy Hospital’s Trauma Center by ground ambulance being attended to by Survival Flight staff, HVA paramedics, and VBT firefighters.
Unfortunately he never regained a heartbeat and was declared dead shortly after arrival at the hospital, Chief Besson said.
OSHA was called to the site to investigate, which is customary, Besson said.