A 34-year-old die setter was killed on Monday while helping set a die at a Howell manufacturing plant, according to state and local officials. The worker was pinned between two heavy dies after one began swinging while being repositioned, and later died from crushing injuries. A workplace-safety investigation is now underway as colleagues and managers wrestle with the sudden loss.
How the accident unfolded
According to the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the worker was assisting as a die was being lowered when a crane operator noticed the locating pin was out of position and began raising the die back up. MIOSHA’s preliminary entry says the worker climbed off the bolster to find the pin, the die caught on another die, swung, and pinned the worker between the two dies.
Employer and local reporting
Livingston County Sheriff Mike Murphy told WHMI that the employee worked at Thai Summit America Corporation. Local reporters noted that company officials and some co-workers were on site after the accident, and WHMI reported it had reached out to the manufacturer and MIOSHA for comment.
Statewide toll and context
The death is the 12th workplace fatality reported in Michigan so far this year, a tally cited in coverage by CBS Detroit. MIOSHA’s public listing shows several other recent worksite deaths this spring, including a roofer who fell from a garage roof last Monday and died the next day.
Investigations and what to expect
According to the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration, entries on its fatality table reflect initial reports, not completed investigations. The agency points employers and workers to free consultation and training through its Consultation, Education and Training (CET) division. In cases like this, investigators typically review machine guarding, crane and rigging procedures, and whether lockout or tagout and other safety protocols were followed during die-setting operations.
Company response
Thai Summit did not immediately respond to requests for comment, WHMI reported, and Livingston County officials said they had notified state safety investigators. Local leaders and co-workers are left looking for answers as MIOSHA conducts its review of the incident.
MIOSHA will update its public record if the agency completes an inspection or finds violations, and any enforcement or citation would be announced by the agency. For now, the fatality adds to a grim statewide count of workplace deaths this year and refocuses attention on press and die-setting safety at metal-stamping shops across the region.
