Medical examiner: Caterpillar worker injured on the job dies from his injuries

SOUTH MILWAUKEE -- The Caterpillar worker injured after being struck by a steel plate Thursday, May 10 has died, the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office confirmed Tuesday, May 15.

The medical examiner's office identified the man as Steven Wade, 60, of Oak Creek. He died from his injuries on Monday, May 14.

Officials say Wade was welding plates at the time of the incident.

Caterpillar released the following statement:

"We are deeply saddened by the death of our employee who was involved in an incident in our South Milwaukee facility on May 10. Our thoughts and prayers are with this employee’s family, friends and co-workers. The company has arranged for counseling to be available to employees who may request it.

We strive each day to have a safe workspace for our employees, contractors and visitors. Caterpillar is a company firmly committed to protecting the health and safety of its employees at the South Milwaukee facility and at all Caterpillar facilities around the world."


The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has been involved in the investigation of the incident.

OSHA has up to six months to complete its investigation, and issue citations and propose penalties if violations of health and safety regulations are found. CLICK HERE to learn about OSHA inspections.