Prison Staff Member in Colorado Dies of Workplace Injury

A workplace accident at the Fremont Correctional Facility in Colorado has claimed the life of a staff member. The accident took place on Wednesday, Nov 4.

The Colorado Department of Corrections has confirmed the accident. The accident in question was a boiler explosion. Just before noon, the Canon City Area Fire Protection District received report of the accident at the correctional facility.

According to the fire protection personnel, the explosion was caused by a catastrophic failure and resulted in injuries to at least one person. Initially, it wasn’t clear if the explosion and the workplace fatality were related. DOC refused to share identification details of the staffer who had died.

On Nov 5, DOC confirmed that the workplace fatality had indeed been caused by the boiler accident. The injured staffer who later passed away after being rushed to the hospital has now been identified as Sergeant Joshua Voth.

Voth had been working with the Department of Corrections since 2016. He worked as a licensed trade supervisor and his job involved teaching important trade skills to the inmates. He is survived by a wife and three children.

Local and state officials are currently in the process of investigating the accident. It is important to identify the actual cause of such an accident and to determine if any negligence was involved. Such an investigation also helps determine who was ultimately responsible for the accident and the consequent fatality. Common at-fault parties in such a scenario include the equipment manufacturer, operator or the maintenance contractor.

DOC and the team at the correctional facility are mourning the loss of the fellow staffer. A family benefit fund has already been set up to help Voth’s surviving family. The department also hopes to help the family cope with the grief and loss of this tragedy. If you or a loved one has been injured or died due to an accident on the job, contact our Denver workplace injury attorneys today!

Source: https://www.denverpost.com/2019/12/05/corrections-died-explosion-husband-father/