Duty of Care

On Friday, October 23, 2026, Kelsy Vance Justus, 28, of Forest City, North Carolina, died at the Panagakos Asphalt plant in Greenville County, South Carolina, WYFF reported. The coroner’s office was called to an industrial accident involving one person, and Greenville County EMS pronounced Justus dead at the scene at 11:50 a.m.

After an autopsy on Saturday, the Greenville County coroner said the cause of death was traumatic asphyxia. OSHA and the coroner’s office are investigating, and how the injury happened has not been released.

Until the investigation explains what happened, the defenses worth checking at plants that handle bulk materials and heavy equipment are energy isolation before anyone reaches into or enters equipment, bins, or hoppers, how jams are cleared, and whether workers are kept out of crush zones around moving machinery and vehicles. These are design and planning controls, not just individual care.

• WYFF