Duty of Care

On Saturday, October 10, 2026, a 40-year-old employee died after becoming trapped in industrial equipment at the Nicolock Paving Stones plant on the 400 block of Houses Corner Road in Sparta Township, New Jersey, according to the Sparta Township Police Department as reported by WRNJ Radio and NJ.com.

Police said co-workers had freed him before officers arrived. Officers gave emergency care until medical crews took over, and he was taken by ambulance to a landing zone for a medical helicopter; while waiting, he had another medical emergency and was taken by ground ambulance to Newton Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. Police did not say what type of equipment was involved or identify the worker, and the Sparta Township Police Department Detective Bureau is investigating.

For manufacturing crews, the defenses this points to are lockout of every energy source before anyone enters or reaches into equipment, guards and interlocks that keep people out of moving parts, jam-clearing methods that do not require entry, and a rescue plan that includes how to stop the machine fast.

• WRNJ Radio
• NJ.com