Federal regulators are investigating the death of a worker who was hit by a forklift at the CF Industries complex in Donaldsonville, local and federal officials said Thursday.
The unidentified man died at an area hospital after the incident Wednesday, company officials said. CF Industries officials described it as “an isolated accident” that “did not involve operational issues or offsite impacts,” without providing further details.
Ascension Parish Sheriff Sheriff Bobby Webre said a forklift hit the man.
Officials with the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration have opened an investigation out of its Baton Rouge office, a spokesman said.
Forklift accidents have led to an average of 71 fatalities each year between 2011 and 2022, according to the National Safety Council’s summary of OSHA statistics. Fatal collisions between pedestrians and forklifts carry a share of those deaths each year, on average.
Juan Rodriguez, the OSHA spokesman, said it is too early to provide any additional details about the CF Industries incident.
State Department of Environmental Quality officials said the incident remains outside their authority because no release was involved.
Company officials said in a statement they would support the worker’s family and help the plant’s other workers.
CF Industries is a global manufacturer of hydrogen and nitrogen products with complexes in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, according to the company website. The Donaldsonville facility is the largest fertilizer complex in North America.