A 61-year-old man was killed Friday after being pulled into a moving fan while working at the AAM Casting manufacturing plant in Wauwatosa.
William J. Walker was working on an HVAC air make-up system on the roof of the building at 6432 W. State St. when he died, according to the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s office.
Walker was reportedly found in a small steel shack that controlled the ventilation for the building when his co-worker heard commotion around 3:10 p.m. on Oct. 12.
Walker was reportedly working on the roof in a air handling unit. According to the medical examiner’s report, each air unit consisted of a set of stairs leading into a separate room.
“There was also a slanted portion near the stairs with a grate and fins. This portion allowed fresh air to enter the unit. Chips of rust were observed on the ground under the unit and appeared to have fallen recently,” according to the report.
The Wauwatosa Fire Department responded and Walker was pronounced dead at 4:30 p.m. OSHA also reported to the scene.
A spokeswoman from AAM said Walker was an outside contractor working at the Wauwatosa facility.
“We extend our sincere condolences to the family, friends and co-workers of the individual,” the spokeswoman said. “Safety is AAM’s number one priority. AAM is cooperating fully with the authorities investigating this accident.”
