NEWPORT - An Independence County man died Tuesday after he was pinned by heavy machinery at a Newport factory, Jackson County Sheriff David Lucas said Wednesday.
Larry R. Ball, 56, of Floral was injured Tuesday when an aluminum rolling mill cradle opened suddenly and trapped him against machinery at Norandal Aluminum’s Newport plant, Lucas said. He was taken to Harris Hospital and then transported by helicopter to the UAMS Medical Center in Little Rock, where he died at 4:50 p.m. Tuesday.
Lucas said the death appears to be accidental.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration inspectors traveled to the Newport factory Wednesday to conduct an investigation, he said.
Tuesday’s death was the second industrial fatality in two months in Newport. On Feb. 19, Michael E. Myers, 49, of Bald Knob died when molten steel from a tipped kettle poured on him at the Arkansas Steel Associates factory in Newport.
Arkansas, Pages 11 on 03/13/2014