Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, February 27, 1991 TAG: 9102270340
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Short
Jerry Wayne Smith suffered head injuries in the 12:30 p.m. accident. He was performing a routine maintenance task at the time, the company said in a news release.
"There's a lot of things that are unanswerable," said Steve Wachnowsky, Celco's environmental, health and safety manager. "We have an investigation team pulled together at this point."
Representatives of the state Department of Labor and Industry met with union and company officials late in the day, said David Greenlief, president of the Textile Workers Union of America local at Celco. He said state investigators would return to the plant today.
The company referred questions about the cause of death to Giles Memorial Hospital officials, who refused to comment.
Greenlief said Smith, who had worked at Celco for six months, died at the plant.
Another mechanic, Joe Lucas, was treated by the plant's emergency medical team for minor injuries. Two other workers in the area apparently were uninjured.
Greenlief said the plant, which employs 2,000 people to make synthetic fibers for cigarette filters and other material, had not had any major accidents for a long time.
Keywords:
FATALITY
by CNB