Photo: DPA

Worker cooked to death at soup factory

Published: 16 May 09 10:51 CET
Online: http://www.thelocal.de/society/20090516-19321.html

A worker at a Lübeck soup factory died after getting trapped inside a giant cauldron and cooking to death, daily Bild reported Saturday.

The accident happened at midday on Friday, the newspaper reported, when the man climbed into a cauldron at the Eraso soup factory to clean it.

The cauldron’s lid suddenly closed while the 36-year-old was still inside and began to fill with steam as part of the disinfection process.

A doctor confirmed that the unidentified man had been cooked to death.

Erasco makes soups, stews and other foods at the Lübeck factory. The company has been in business since 1873.

“The circumstances of how such an accident could have occurred have not yet been explained,” Lübeck police spokesman Detlef Ridel told Bild.

The police and the city’s office for workplace safety are jointly investigating the accident.

The Local (news@thelocal.de)

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Your comments about this article:

14:43 May 17, 2009 by redemerald4
Lack of safety devices causes this tragedy no doubt.
12:35 May 18, 2009 by gatzke
Does Germany not have standard lock-out-tag-out policies? Closed-vessel entry procedures?

I thought some of our US regs were crazy, but this is a tragic and avoidable death.
12:44 May 18, 2009 by SpiderPig
Spargel creme soupe mit Kraut wirtzig!
12:50 May 18, 2009 by Freakster
XTC's Summer's Cauldron (YouTube)

[color=gray]Possible copyright infringement removed by admin. See guidelines.
12:51 May 18, 2009 by lilplatinum
I was wondering why I found a wedding ring in my soup last night...

Maybe he will reappear a week later like Doctor Manhatten did when he was locked in a dangerous area at work.
12:52 May 18, 2009 by Allershausen
Does Germany not have standard lock-out-tag-out policies? Closed-vessel entry procedures?

I thought some of our US regs were crazy, but thi…
I'm sure they do, but there's an old saying, "Familiarity breeds contempt". People get killed or injured all the time because they don't follow the correct procedures.
14:06 May 18, 2009 by ehrengh
That seems like about the worst way to die...
14:46 May 18, 2009 by BigEnglish2009
Certainly a candidate for a Darwin award...
14:58 May 18, 2009 by gatzke
We don't know details. It could have been a mechanical failure. It could have been human error other than his. He was just doing his job AFAWK.
That seems like about the worst way to die...
Hopefully he did not suffer.

They told stories at the paper mill about a guy that fell in a big vat and all they found was his belt buckle...
15:01 May 18, 2009 by KTRIC
Hopefully he did not suffer.
Mmm, I'd say being boiled alive hurts a bit
15:01 May 18, 2009 by Chocky
Hopefully he did not suffer.
I hope so too, but seriously, being steamed to death?
15:12 May 18, 2009 by eurobabs
Can not imagine how his family must feel. Very sad
15:15 May 18, 2009 by BigEnglish2009
Hopefully he did not suffer.
What? I can't imagine it was easy! Being steamed to death...
15:19 May 18, 2009 by Mapleleafdude
Instant death by steam? no way.

Poor sucker. I would have thought that they would double team such jobs.

Instacup.
15:20 May 18, 2009 by gatzke
What? I can't imagine it was easy! Being steamed to death...
My bad. Should have said "Hopefully he did not suffer long." Too late to clarify.
15:21 May 18, 2009 by cb6dba
It is bad enough being reminded of a lost one while you are at home - but every time you go to the supermarket...

Bad business, if the firm are at fault I hope the family screw them a load of cash. It seems to be the only thing that makes some companies take notice and take safety seriously.
15:37 May 18, 2009 by mj davey
sounds like a pretty solid Darwin 2009 Candidate...
15:50 May 18, 2009 by Steven192
Can't Darwin the bloke until we find out how and why it happened.

Got to say the disinfection system seems to have done what it was designed to do though.
17:17 May 18, 2009 by wurzel333
A terrible way to die. It made me sick to hear about it. I can't even imagine how his family must feel. My prayers go out to them.
17:20 May 18, 2009 by eurovol
I was going to eat my Erasco gulash soup today. After reading this this morning, I had crackers without the soup instead.
17:23 May 18, 2009 by ukpunk1
Coming soon to your local supermarket, Erasco Man-Meat flavoured soup!
21:39 May 18, 2009 by chicken1900
I would never eat that brand. It's makes me sick , thinking about it.May god give his family strenght to cope with this terrble death. I wouldn't like one of my family dying this way. Always associating the death with a soup. May god bless his soul
08:34 May 19, 2009 by jwex85
In England there was a guy who fell into a grain mill and ended up drowning in grain,

I'm pretty sure that's happened 1000's of times through history but rivals this for a bad way to go
10:11 May 19, 2009 by Neal J. King
I remember hearing about people passing out and suffocating when cleaning out those huge wine barrels used in some wineries in California.

Not as unpleasant, but dead is dead.
10:24 May 19, 2009 by Editor Bob
I hear that police are still taking stock of the situation.
10:29 May 19, 2009 by hughk
Noooooooooo!!! That is in really bad taste.
10:29 May 19, 2009 by Kay
I bet they're too chicken to check the cauldron.
10:33 May 19, 2009 by Orla_inka
I bet, those responsible are in a stew
10:53 May 19, 2009 by righter
I'd bet too only I dont like to Campbell
11:06 May 19, 2009 by marie-claire
Don't get me wrong - I think it is very sad and tragic for someone to die like this,

but I wonder if the company still uses this tag-line in their TV commercials.

(attached image)
17:05 May 19, 2009 by Mapleleafdude
That slogan has gone to pot.

I thought Erasco is a Campbells company?
18:30 May 19, 2009 by BattalionBoy
I souppose that they will now now change their operating procedure for this.
23:51 May 22, 2009 by aspiadas
I wonder if Erasco do Manistrone flavour
00:50 May 25, 2009 by Alana
It probably happened because his work-mate was taking his 15th smoke, coffee, siesta, quiet-time, hurt finger, call the wife, go for a walk break.

Or maybe he was on a long holiday (again) and/or it was Wednesday or Friday and the other ones left early and this guy decided

to take on the task alone.

Some jobs require a spotter.

Schade Schade.
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