Pottery Plant Will Pay $545K in Penalties After Worker Death

An industrial pottery manufacturer will pay $545,160 after safety inspectors found that the same issues that led to an on-the-job death in 2008 contributed to the death of plant supervisor Arturo Gonzalez in April. Gonzalez, 42, died after a 300-foot kiln automatically closed and fired up while he was performing maintenance work inside it.  Safety inspectors found that Marshall Pottery had failed to establish protocols to protect workers in confined spaces and to prevent machines from automatically turning on. The inspectors had cited the terra cotta pottery plant for similar issu...