State fines Renton recycler $62,800 in April death of worker

Published 4:54 pm Thursday, October 20, 2011

The state has fined a Renton recycling company $62,800 after a 25-year-old employee was killed in April trying to clear plastic from a baling machine.

The death of Sharon Silva on April 7 was ruled accidental by the King County Medical Examiner’s Office. She was asphyxiated under the plastic debris at Smurfit-Stone Recycling on Southwest 34th Street.

Following an investigation, the state Department of Labor and Industries  issued Smurfit-Stone two citations with total financial penalties of $62,800.

Silva had shut off the power; the material fell on her when she tried to clear the chute. She was able to call for help. But efforts to save her by co-workers, police and firemen were unsuccessful. She died at the scene.

The agency listed a number of violations related to health and safety regulations in the workplace in assessing the penalties, most of which related to safety in a confined space, such as the baler.

When the citations were issued on Oct. 7, the company had corrected most of the violations.