A worker was cooked to death this week in an industrial “steamer machine” at a seafood plant in Santa Fe Springs, authorities said.
The man was pronounced dead at the scene after Whittier police received a 911 call at 7 a.m. Thursday.
Jose Melena, 62, had worked for six years at tuna maker Bumble Bee Seafoods, 13100 Arctic Circle (map).
An initial investigation indicated that Melena was fatally injured when he was cooked in an oven, according to Erika Monterroza of California Division of Occupational Safety and Health.
It was unclear how Melena ended up inside the industrial cooker, which was described as a “steamer machine.”
The seafood plant had shut down but was expected to resume operations Monday, according to a statement from Bumble Bee Foods.
