A worker died last week in Flint after becoming pinned between pieces of heavy machinery, according to the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
The 53-year-old laborer was fatally injured Friday while disassembling an excavator, according to MIOSHA’s workplace fatality tracker. The state has not identified the victim or their employer by name.
The victim and another worker were attempting to reinstall a pin on the arm of an excavator, MIOSHA said. Both were standing in front of the machine when the operator of a front-end loader attempted to help by moving the excavator’s arm.
The excavator’s cab and arm then rotated, pinning one of the workers between the excavator’s arm and the front-end loader’s bucket.
The victim was transported to a nearby hospital, where they were pronounced dead, MIOSHA said.
Pins are found at the pivot points in an excavator and occasionally need to be replaced to ensure efficiency and safety, according to Vikfin, an online used excavator parts retailer.
According to MIOSHA, the Flint death is the second workplace fatality in Michigan this year. In January, a 26-year-old died in Greenville after getting caught between the carriage and cab of a tow truck.
There were 44 workplace deaths during 2025, MIOSHA reported.
mreinhart@detroitnews.com
@max_detroitnews
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Worker killed in Flint after pinned by heavy machinery: MIOSHA
Reporting by Max Reinhart, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
