A Troy man, age 43, tragically died from carbon monoxide poisoning while finishing a concrete floor in an Almont Township pole barn, with another man now fighting for his life in critical condition. This incident represents the first worker fatality reported in Michigan for the year 2025, amidst a backdrop of 31 similar MIOSHA-related deaths from the previous year. The two men, identified as contractors from a Shelby Township-based company, were working with propane-powered equipment in an enclosed space, setting the stage for this preventable tragedy.
The Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) reported that the employer reached out to the homeowner after failing to hear from the workers by 8:30 p.m. last Friday. The homeowner subsequently found the two men unconscious, according to CBS News Detroit. The use of fuel-burning equipment in inadequately ventilated areas appears to have led directly to the dangerous accumulation of this odorless, tasteless, and colorless gas.
Upon the tragic discovery, emergency services were contacted and both men were quickly taken to a hospital. Regrettably, the younger man was pronounced dead while the 50-year-old Mt. Clemens man remains in critical condition. The Oakland County Medical Examiner's Office has confirmed that carbon monoxide poisoning was indeed the cause of death, The Detroit News shared in a recent report.
Almont Police Chief Dan Willis has warned of the extreme dangers associated with carbon monoxide, especially in locations such as pole barns that are closed off or lack proper ventilation. The Mayo Clinic emphasizes that carbon monoxide can accumulate quickly in enclosed spaces, leading potentially to deadly outcomes. "People need to keep in mind that carbon monoxide poisoning is extremely dangerous," Chief Willis emphasized, as per The Detroit News.
