Distribution centers and warehouses have been the scene of many employee deaths. While those cases remain tragic, they have also set the stage to ensure that working conditions are less dangerous in the future. Such is the case for Macy’s, as the company agreed this week to pay a hefty fine and undergo a safety audit as part of a settlement for a 2009 employee death.

On Monday, Macy’s pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor count of criminal liability and agreed to pay a $950,000 fine as part of a settlement in the death of a 65-year-old machine operator at the company’s Los Angeles distribution center, the Chicago Tribune reports.

The man, a cardboard baling and compactor machine operator, was crushed to death and decapitated when he fell into an unguarded opening of the unit on July 13, 2009. The baler, used to compact waste for recycling, had been modified to run without interruption.

As part of Monday’s settlement, Macy’s must conduct an audit of balers and compactors at its California stores and distribution centers. The audit must be approved by the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office.

Macy’s fined nearly $1 million after decapitation of factory employee [Chicago Tribune]

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