Manufacturing is big business in this country. The National Association of Manufacturers reports that manufacturers will bring $2.77 Trillion into the national economy this year, based upon the first quarter data of 2022. With this kind of money, many may envision huge operations with magnificent plant facilities; however, much of the country’s manufacturing firms are small businesses working together to make United States manufacturing comparable to the 8th largest economy in the world.
- See, Facts About Manufacturing published by the National Association of Manufacturers.
Here in Indiana and Illinois, manufacturing provides a great many people with jobs and careers in a variety of pursuits. From assembling cars, trucks, and SUVs to making tires, steel products, medical supplies, or food products, the factories here provide a vital and indispensable service both to the nation as a whole as well as many other countries within their global distribution chains. Consider this: Chicago ranks 3rd and Indianapolis ranks 10th in the Top 10 Manufacturing Cities list compiled by Industry Select, an industrial database provided by research firm MNI.
Top Ten Manufacturing Companies in Illinois
According to Industry Select, the following are the top ten manufacturers in Illinois:
- Ford Motor Co., Chicago Assembly Plt. (Chicago)
- Medline Industries, Inc. (Northfield)
- FCA US, LLC (Belvidere)
- AbbVie, Inc. (North Chicago)
- Continental Tire The Americas (Mount Vernon)
- Allied Building Products Corp. (Arlington Heights )
- Dot Foods, Inc. (Mount Sterling)
- Navistar, Inc. (Lisle)
- Tyson Foods, Inc. (Hillsdale)
- Caterpillar Inc., Track-Type Tractors Div. (East Peoria).
Top Ten Manufacturing Companies in Indiana
According to Industry Select, the following are the top ten manufacturers in Indiana:
- Eli Lilly & Co. (Indianapolis)
- Lippert Components, Inc. (Elkhart)
- Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc. (Lafayette)
- Toyota Motor Mfg., Indiana, Inc. (Princeton)
- Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Div. (Crane )
- Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc. (Warsaw)
- General Motors, Fort Wayne Assembly (Roanoke)
- ArcelorMittal USA, LLC (East Chicago)
- Rolls-Royce Corp. (Indianapolis)
- United States Steel Corp., Gary Works (Gary).
Manufacturing is the 4th Deadliest Workplace in Indiana and Illinois
Factory work is also very dangerous. According to the Indiana Department of Labor, manufacturing ranked as the fourth deadliest workplace for Hoosiers to be employed in 2020 with a 21.43% jump in fatalities in a single year.
Illinois was no safer. In 2020, the manufacturing industry also ranked as having the fourth highest fatality rate that year (specifically, machine manufacturing). Read, Illinois Occupational Health Program; Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, Illinois, 2020; Epidemiologic Report Series 22:03. Springfield, IL: Illinois Department of Public Health, March 2022.
Common Manufacturing Accidents: Factory Dangers
No matter the type of product being produced at the particular factory or plant, manufacturing workers face several common dangers and known risks that can kill or permanently harm the factory worker victim as well as those in near proximity to the accident site. This is because several industrial processes and procedures are shared by these facilities which are inherently dangerous and known to be high risk by employers, supervisors, and management.
They include:
- Working with flammable materials
- Working with toxic chemicals
- Forklift operations
- Electrical work and on-site live wires
- Conveyor belt operations
- Machine guards
- Railings, Stairwells, and Scaffolds
- Loading Docks
- High heat areas.
Moreover, the weight and size of most heavy machinery used in our local manufacturing plants invites bodily injury unless strict safety standards are established and followed in the workplace. Stationary cranes, for instance, may be commonplace in some of these sites but they come with serious hazards for anyone working on or near these monstrosities.
Factory Worker Injuries in Manufacturing Accidents
For anyone who is hurt on the job while doing factory work, there is a very real risk of permanent harm from the bodily injuries suffered in seconds from a manufacturing accident. These worker victims may face physical damages that involve:
- Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs)
- Spinal Cord injuries
- Loss of limb (amputation)
- Burns and scarring (disfigurement) with loss of use
- Full or partial paralysis
- Internal nervous system injuries
- Internal organ damages such as lung impairment.
The hardships that result from a factory accident involve not only the immediate pain and suffering involved at the time of the event, but extend for weeks, months, and perhaps a lifetime as therapy, rehabilitation, surgery series, and more may be needed.
- For more, read: Amputation Injuries from On-the-Job Work Accidents in Indiana or Illinois; Head Injury in an Accident: Varied Causes of Permanent Brain Injuries; Spinal Cord Injuries: Tragic Result of Serious Accidents; and Chemical Accidents: Burns, Inhalation, or Neurological Work Injuries on the Job in Indiana or Illinois.
Justice For Factory Workers Hurt in Manufacturing Worksite Accidents
For any factory worker hurt or killed while on the job here in Indiana and Illinois, the first means of support in the aftermath of the accident will likely involve the pursuit of benefits under the workers’ compensation systems of Indiana or Illinois. However, any manufacturing employee accident deserves independent, individual analysis to determine the extent of injuries (past, present, and future) for the victim and their loved ones. Immediate medical care as well as long-term or permanent rehabilitation and therapy needs must be considered.
Alongside determining the full extent of harm comes an evaluation of the incident itself. Particularly for injuries occurring in a factory, industrial site, or manufacturing plant, there is a significant chance that legal liability may exist outside of worker’s compensation.
Expert analysis may reveal, for instance, that equipment failures, inadequate repair or maintenance, workplace safety and housekeeping protocols, and other legal duties may have been breached that result in third party injury claims.
These claims may be based upon product liability, defective products, premises liability, negligence of entities other than the employer (e.g., suppliers, etc.) and provide recompense that covers a greater range of damages than is available under worker’s compensation coverage.
Factory accidents where smaller operations are involved may deserve particular scrutiny given the increased pressure to put profits over people in inflationary times.
For more, see:
- The Two Main Differences Between Workers Compensation and Personal Injury Claims for Accident Victims in Indiana and Illinois
- Workers’ Compensation and Third-Party Claims for On-the-Job Accidents.
If you or a loved one has been severely hurt or killed in a factory worker accident in any of our local manufacturing worksites, then it is vital to know there are potential legal claims to advance that involve workers’ compensation as well as potential third party personal injury claims in order to provide justice.
Manufacturing work has a reputation as being very dangerous here in Indiana and Illinois. Please be careful out there!
