Bumble Bee Foods LLC has agreed to pay a $6 million settlement after the gruesome death of one of its plant workers three years ago.
CBSLA.com noted that Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey said the company was ordered to pay the amount for "willfully violating worker safety rules."
The agreement comes after the death of Jose Melena, 62, who was killed when he became trapped in an industrial oven. The payout is said to be the largest over workplace violations with one victim in the state of California.
On Oct. 11, 2012, Melena was making a repair in one of the ovens. Unaware he was inside, two workers filled it with tuna fish and turned the oven on. The victim’s body was found hours later and was completely charred.
As we previously reported, Bumble Bee and the two employees, Operations Director Angel Rodriguez and former safety manager Saul Florez, were each charged with violating safety rules that led to Melena’s death.
Rodriguez was ordered to pay $11,400 and complete 320 hours of community service and Saul Florez was fined $19,000 and 30 days of community labor.