Father Finds Son Dead in Vat of Sulfuric Acid at California Circuit Board Factory

[kurth]

Sep 23, 7:59 PM EDT
Father Finds Son Dead in Vat of Sulfuric Acid at California Circuit Board Factory

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. (AP) -- An 18-year-old fell into a vat of sulfuric acid and died after apparently being overcome by fumes, police said. His body was discovered by his father Sunday at a circuit board factory where they both worked.

The San Mateo County coroner's office identified the victim as Fernando Jimenez Gonzalez of Redwood City. Gonzalez had been submerging circuit boards in the vat at Coastal Circuits, Redwood City police said. Gonzalez's father went to the factory when his son did not come home from his shift and discovered the body.

Police were investigating and an autopsy was planned. An official with the 75-employee firm said the company would not comment until the autopsy was complete. "We're just in the middle of going through all the facts," said Laura Boozer, chief operating officer of Coastal Circuits.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/B/BRF_ACID_DROWNING?SITE=KFWB&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

[wtmusic]

1. Whenever you think you're having a bad day

it could be worse. :scared:

[terisan]

2. How could the company not have known? nt

[Synnical]

3. I don't know what to type

Except cheap labor and abuse of workers.

K&R

[seriousstan]

5. Yes, it is always so difficult when there are sooo many knee jerk options.

Do you have even a shred of evidence to back either claim?

I'll be waiting for your broadbrush generalizations that usually suffice for proof.

[w4rma]

6. In these times it's best to assume that those broadbrush generalizations are correct until

evidence is shown otherwise.

The way the law is written, now in most every industry, you usually can't run a profitable factory without abusing cheap (often imported) labor.

[Synnical]

7. As you demand, with your head in the ground

Foreign Guestworkers Are Routinely Exploited by U.S. Employers Seeking Cheap Labor, Captive Workforce, New Report Finds

http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/03-12-2007/0004544105&EDATE=

Cheap labor's hidden costs are injustice and harm - migrant labor - Brief Article

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1141/is_24_37/ai_73624123

Edit to add your lack of empathy and caring for another human being.

[Nay]

4. God, that poor kid. His parents must be beside themselves.

[kestrel91316]

8. Pay REAL CLOSE ATTENTION to this part:

"....Gonzalez's father went to the factory when his son did not come home from his shift and discovered the body....."

Now think. What does this mean?

Where the hell were the supervisors that the kid's FATHER had to COME DOWN TO THE WORKPLACE and look for him and FIND HIM HIMSELF???????

[fed-up]

9. sfgate - "He did not appear to be wearing facial protection"

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/09/23/BAA0SCQ1G.DTL


(09-23) 13:17 PDT REDWOOD CITY --

San Mateo County Coroner's officials have identified 18-year-old Fernando Jimenez Gonzalez of Redwood City as the man who drowned in a vat of sulfuric acid at a Redwood City factory early this morning.

Gonzalez's body was discovered at Coastal Circuits Factory on Tacoma Way at around 1:45 a.m. by his father after Gonzalez didn't arrive home, according to a Redwood City police spokesman.
...snip
Gonzalez is believed to have fallen into the waist-high vat of sulfuric acid after being overcome by chemical fumes, police said. He did not appear to be wearing facial protection and he was one of two employees working the early-morning shift, police said.

Occupational Safety and Health Administration officials are investigating the incident and the factory has been temporarily closed, police said.
Laura Boozer, chief operating officer for Coastal Circuits Factory, told The Chronicle that the company is withholding comment until the investigation and autopsy are completed

[dipsydoodle]

10. In the USA

do you have the equivalent of the UK's Health & Safety At Work Act ? : http://www.hse.gov.uk/legislation/hswa.htm

[shenmue]

11. What?!

Safety measures, anybody? Railings? Vat covers?

I know little about this industry, but this seems to be odd, to say the least.

How awful for his father. My condolences. :cry:

[backscatter712]

12. *cringe* That's a bad way to go.

I'm not sure how the body would be recognizable after being immersed in that acid. Dad probably looked in the vat and saw nothing but a skeleton...

Well, I'm sure it depends on how concentrated the acid is - the really high molar stuff will reduce the flesh to goo.