A worker was killed at a 3M plant in western Minnesota after getting caught in machinery during an overnight shift, authorities said.
The incident that occurred about 3:45 a.m. Tuesday at the sprawling facility along S. Broadway in Alexandria, is being investigated by the Minnesota Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to determine how the worker became trapped, the agency said.
Company officials issued a statement from 3M's headquarters in Maplewood that said emergency response protocols were enacted in response to the incident, and the local police and fire departments and OSHA were notified.
The plant was shut down Tuesday after the incident and resumed operations Wednesday morning.
The male worker's identity has yet to be disclosed.
"We are deeply saddened to confirm that one of our 3M Alexandria team members died overnight at the plant," the statement continued. "We are reaching out to the employee's family to offer support, and our thoughts are with the employee's family and friends."
The plant, which started operating in 1967, provides industrial customers with coated abrasives for metal fabrication, precision castings, cylindrical grinding, furniture and custom wood, and automotive manufacturing. About 400 people work there.
In 2013, a routine OSHA inspection at the plant turned up an equipment violation that led to a $2,450 fine, according to agency records.
