Sentinel & Enterprise
By Katina Caraganis
FITCHBURG, Mass. — A workplace accident at Creative BioMass in Fitchburg Saturday morning left one man dead.
The man, who is not be identified pending notification of next of kin, is a co-owner of the facility, fire officials said. He was reportedly electrocuted, according to officials at the scene.
Fitchburg Deputy Chief Robert Haley said that they received a 911 call at 11:22 a.m. of a possible electrocution. An engine and paramedic unit arrived on scene to find the man in full cardiac arrest.
Crews attached a defibrillator and shocked him twice, to no avail. Paramedics continued to perform CPR and transported the victim to Leominster Hospital, officials said.
Haley said he was pronounced dead shortly after noon.
It appears the man was in the process of rewiring the motor for a dust collection unit for the facility when the incident occurred, Haley said.
“I’m assuming he was electrocuted but we are not sure if that is the cause of death. That is pending on the autopsy,” said Haley. “I’m not sure if they have ordered one, but I’m assuming they are. I am sure they will want to know the cause of death.”
OSHA, the state police, and the Fire Department are investigating the incident.
Creative BioMass and OSHA could not be reached for comment Saturday.
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