SCHOFIELD, Wis. (WTAQ) - 1 of 3 workers injured in a chemical accident at a plant near Wausau has died. 31-year-old Eric Simpson was the most seriously burned. And the Iowa National Guard, in which Simpson was a chaplain, said he had died from his injuries. He was taken to UW Hospital in Madison after Tuesday’s mishap at Quality Surface Processing in Schofield. The other 2 workers were treated at the scene for smoke or chemical inhalation.
Authorities said the 3 were stripping paint from pieces of metal. And they were putting the metals into a scalding chemical salt bath which somehow splashed. Officials said the liquid was about 900 degrees. It splashed onto nearby walls and a ceiling, but investigators are still trying to determine how and why. The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration is also looking into the incident, to see if safety issues were involved.
